Evening star., 1955-05-29
VIRGINIA:
Bender's Pal
NotOnIyOne
ToBeCoueht
VIRGINIA.:
BY ALEX R. PRESTON

ucdu junior C6IldUOE AIOlh
Ohio that Virginia's State po-
lice single out cars with OUT
of-State tags for highway
arrests hardly seem justified in
view Of an incident that has
come to the attention of this
column.
One Of the Old Dominion's
top officials recently was
waved of the road and lee
tured for several minutes by a
trooper.
His offense? He tossed the
cellophane wrapper of of his
cigar out the window Of his
automobile.
Senator Bender was a pas
senger in a car that was
stopped by a trooper on Route
/ near Woodbridge. Va. May
IS. Radar clocked the driver
as doing 66 miles per hour
ana he was so charged. The
limit there was 55.
The Senator said:
"The car carried an Ohio
license with eight digits. There
have been many complaints
from that area about cars
with out-of-State licenses be-
ing stopped"
(The Bureau Of Motor
Vehicles at Columbus says
the maximum number OF
letters and figures on Ohio
tags is Six.)
So, the Senator should hear
about this:
Not long ago the Virginia
official, whose reputation
spreads from the Kentucky
Tennessee borders to the At
lantic coastline, also was q
passenger in q car. His wife
was driving.
Two Dieits, Not Eight
His car bore a Virginia
license. 1t didn't have eight
digits-it had only two. These
low numbers are presumed to
give the possessors thereof a
sort of special privilege.
So, what happened? Our
Virginia official Is riding
along, kind of relaxed, when
the time comes to light up a
fresh cigar. Unconsciously he
slips the wrapper of between
thumb and forefinger. thrusts
the fresh stogie into his
mouth and balls up the cello
phane. Without a second
thought he tosses 1t out the
window.
The translucent sphere is
caught in the air stream and
watts back-right into the
windshield of a State police
cruiser.
Two digits or no, the trooper
sounded his siren. Hailed to
the side of the road, the Vir-
ginia official and his wife
spent the next few minutes
listening to lecture about
new State law that makes it
illegal to throw anything out
, of an automobile onto the
highways.
The official was in a good
position to know a great deal
more about the law than the
trooper. But he listened and
acknowledged his error.
II suppose" the trooper
concluded, there's nothing
for me to do but 60 back down
the road and pick UP that
wrapper"
Not at all" the official re-
piled. We'll 60 back and try
to find it,"
They went back but they
didn't find it.
1t just goes to show that
State police don't go around
singing out cars with Ohio
tags and eight digitS.
Kangaroo Court?
The Senator is quoted as
having complained to his
friend, Gov. Stanley of Vir-
ginia, about being hailed be-
fore a kangaroo court"-a
justice of the peace at Wood
bridge. The Senator also
complained Of Virginia's "ar-
chaic" fee system.
The facts are that the JUS
tice of the peace couldn't con-
duct kangaroo court under
Virginia law. He cannot try
cases. He issues the warrant
when the trooper brings the
charge. But a trial justice,
who is salaried, actually tries
the case and then determines
the innocence or guilt of the
party.
Senator Bender, however.
raises a much more interesting
question when he complains
of the fee system.
Virginia went a long way
toward abolishing the fee sys-
tenn early in the 30s. Prior to
that, sheriffs, revenue COM
missioners, county treasurers,
etc, were paid fees, based on
the volume of papers served.
property assessed or money COL
lected. But the Legislature
authorized specific salary
brackets for the various To-
calities and directed the State
Compensation Board to set
the salaries Of the various Of
f1cials within those brackets.
Justices of the peace in Vir-
ginla do not collect fees based
on the guilt or innocence of the
accused. The fact remains,
however, that they do collect