Evening star., 1961-12-13
Traffic Court
Plan Given
Qualified OK
BY HARVEY CLEW

BY HARVEY CLEW
A Traffic Court reorganiza-
tion plan adopted by a District
Bar Association committee has
received partial Endorsement
from judges of the Municipal
Court.
In the latest of series of
attempts to revise the court,
the committee has advanced a
three-point program aimed at
enlarging the court and its
jurisdiction as we'll as lengthen-
ing its business hours.
The judges qualified approval |
is one step in a path requiring
such proposals to obtain ap-
proval of the full Bar Associa-
ton. the District Commission
ers and eventually, Congress.
The first step in the current
plan, establishment of a sep |
arate Municipal Court traffic |
branch, originally was proposed |
80 years ago. This time it in
cludeS a provision for two
permanent traffic judges, one
for jury cases. the other for
trials by judge.
Night Sessions in Plan
The committees plan also
would add night or full Sat-
urday sessions and put Is and
II year old traffic offenders
under adult Jurisdiction in
routine cases, removing them
from Juvenile Court.
At closed meeting last week
the. bar group, the Committee
on Negligence and Motor We
hicle Law, heard that the
judges:
See no useful purpose" in a
separate traffic branch, but
feel that if one must be created
it should be manned by two
new judges, not by existing
judges.
Are agreeable to expert
mental" Saturday sessions for
bond and collateral cases, but
consider night sessions too
costly.
Can now handle Juvenile
cases and would not oppose
their transfer from Juvenile
Court.
Walker Presents Views
Their views were presented
by Judge Harry L. Walker, traf-
fic liaiSon man between the
Board Of Judges and the Bar
Association.
Under the present court
structure. one Municipal Court
judge handles traffic cases
rotating to another court
branch after about six months
service.
There is no night court, while
Saturday session last q half
day and handle only new cases,
All juvenile traffic cases are
tried in Juvenile Court, which
has a large backlog.
Harry S. Wender. chairman
OF the bar committee, said per-
sistent dissatisfaction with the
present system produced re-
neWed proposals for a change.
Contention of Critics
Critics contend that the pres
ent court is overloaded, that
judges handling traffic cases /
should specialize in the field.
that some traffic offenders
cannot afford to miss work for /
a court date, and that the Ju-
venile Courts backlog delays
most cases there for up to eight
months.
Mr.. Wender said the COM
mittee's package plan fits into
a larger Municipal Court re-
organization plan already ap-
proved by the Districts Judicial
Conference.
All phases Of the traffic plan
except the provision for Satur-
day sessions require Implement
ing action by Congress, Mr.. |.
Wender said.
He indicated that the judges
views would be reflected in the
final verSio nof the plan. It's
next step is consideration by
the Bar Associations board of
directors next month, he said.
A further step, approval by
the Commissioners, appears
probable since the plans main
features-but not the night
court provision-have been ap-
proved by the Traffic Co
ordinating Advisory Committee /
and the Commissioners Traffic
Advisory Board. /