OCR Text |
Show v WJBOM COURT Judge E. A, Rogers of the Criminal Division Gives Justice With Dispatch. REPEATERS PUNISHED Rights of Defendants Safeguarded, Safe-guarded, Though Business Busi-ness Is Rapid. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The Jaw's delay, the proud man's contumely; From a time long antecedent to the age of the Bard of Avon, who put these words into the mouth of his immortal Hamlet, "the laws delay" has been Pvprbial in the literature of many Poinds. This may not appear to be the proper introduction to a story concerning concern-ing Salt Lake at the present time, but it is written by way of contrast with at least one court in the city of Zion where "the law's delay" has ceased to exist. Judge E. A. Rogers occupies the bench in the criminal division of the city court, and hero the business of each day is transacted with a celerity that makes many of the spectators gasp and numerous attorneys wonder. Justice Is Swift. There was an afternoon session of court last week during which fourteen cases were disposed of in sixteen minutes, min-utes, and there were no "blanket" sentences, sen-tences, sometimes used in passing judgment judg-ment upon "you and each of you.'7 Moreover, it appeared from the questions ques-tions of the court, swiftlv propounded to cai'h of the prisoners before the bar, that he had made some study of the facts and circumstances surrounding the peculiar cases and was prepare-! without with-out hesitation to .deal out justice. For those who appear, tor the first time on the charge of intoxication, where .no aggravating circumstances attach at-tach .to the arrest. Judge Rogers has one formula, uttered at a speed of about ?00 words per minute: "The -court adhionishcs you not to repeat the offense; you're discharged." woe betide those who have been granted an opportunity to leave the city and who nave failed to heed the lifcisive: ' ' The time for sentence in your case is fixed for tomorrow afternoon after-noon at 2 o'clock, and you are released on your own recognizance." tiard Their Rights. If brought in on a bench warrant the next day, or any day following, they y hear: t "The sentence of the court is that you be confined in the city jail or a period of thirty days." To those who appear entirely ignorant of their rights under the law, cases frequently fre-quently to be seen, where the prisoner , . says: "I don't know what to plead, but I guess I might as well plead wuilty, though I am not," the court quietly and in simple language explains the rights of a .defendant and the fact that a plea of guilty would involve the passing of sentence. "A plea of not guilty may be entered, and your case taken up tomorrow," is the usual finding find-ing in such instances. Unless there is a case involving the taking of extended testimony and the arpiments of attorneys for either side, the afternoon session of the police court is over within thirty minutes from the time Bailiff Hilton's gavel first faUs. |