Correspondence
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3500800317 |
| Date | 01 July 1935 |
| Published date | 01 July 1935 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
CORRESPONDENCE
OBITER
DICTA
To the Editor
of
THE
POLICE
JOURNAL.
SIR,
The
articles dealing with Police Court procedure which have
appeared in recent issues of THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
are of extreme
interest. Serious-minded police officers must disapprove of lay
magistrates making unjudicial remarks during the examination of
prisoners, and it may be worth while to mention two recent instances
which have come to my notice.
In
the first case, the witness giving
evidence appeared to be a ne'er-do-well, and was sticking up for his
friend who was charged with stealing agramophone.
"No,
Your Worship," he said,
"he
didn't
steal the gramophone.
At the time this woman says she saw
him
take it he was with me
doing aspot of work."
"What sort of
work?
"
" We was doing a bit of light carting, Your
Honour."
" Oh, is
that
all?
Ithought perhaps you
was'
cracking a crib
'."
The
second case is a more remarkable example of magisterial
indiscretion. Adriver of a heavy motor-lorry was charged with
exceeding the speed limit. He pleaded guilty and police witnesses
testified
that
he was
"speeding"
at 7 miles in excess of the
speed limit for the class of vehicle he was driving.
"Why did you do it,
Jones?
"
" I must have misjudged the speed, Your Worship. I have no
speedometer."
" Who do you drive
for?
"
"John Smith &
Sons."
"Smith's of Wood
Street?"
"
That's
right,
Sir."
"I
know that firm well.
I've
had some outside trouble with
them. Iwant everybody to know
that
this fellow is employed by a
firm
that
absolutely slave-drives all its employees.
They
are-
but
perhaps Iought not to let personal opinions and outside informa-
tion affect my judgments as a Magistrate. However, Ido feel it
373
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