Salt Lake Telegram | 1926-12-27 | Page 7 | First Duty of Courts

I y First Duty of Co Courts I IS I S San Francisco Chronic Judge Michael J. J Roche hits the proper note when he ic es the duty courts have to protect society from rom further trouble with the tho convict of established criminal tendencies He was dealing with two confirmed con- con conI I firmed firmed criminals als Creepy Wilson Vilson and Willie de Bardeleben ben pals of ot the notorious Joe Joet And unless th the sentences he imposed are repealed by the prison board oard or parole board these professional thugs will spend the rest of their days behind prison bars Then society will be protected from them Judge Roche sets an nn example of ot the proper way to o fight tight crime Simply expressed it is Catch the criminal keep him caught tr try him quickly sentence him ilm quickly if guilty and see that he serves selves his sen- sen tence ence The law already protects the criminal to the full fun When brought to trial criminals are the very ones to Insist on the most scrupulous regard for their rights They im Invoke inoke oke ever every legal principle guaranteeing them Protection And with hearted chicken-hearted juries and wavering judges supported by and soft- soft thinkIng males helping them they are turned loose loosemore loosemore more nore frequently than they ther are tire sent to prison The problem presented by the current crime wave waves Is s not more protection for tor the criminal but more protection protection pro- pro for the public Civilization It If it means anything anything any- any thing thing means protection security for the majority of tf those hose who are bent on doing right against the crIminal criminal criminal crimi crImi- nal minority who are determined to go wrong One of ot the difficulties of the situation however is s that the public realizes none of ot the social or economic economic eco ceo dangers of ot crime until its own property Is stolen or its own relatives or acquaintances have come to grips with the thug Crime is organized but public opinion is not organized to fight tight it The criminal element challenges society and society is IR isalow slow alow to take up the gage The criminal flouts the law because he knows the odds are so heavy in his favor makes crime his business and Is willing to assume the risks because the law protects him more than it protects his victims It is all poppycock to think that kind words and cahdy are going to reform such confirmed criminals as Creepy Wilson Vilson and Willie de Bardeleben And society will sleep better when it knows that they are put permanently where they can do rio no no further harm When we get round to making it the usual thing to treat these persistent criminals with as little tenderness as they treat their victims we will find that criminal offenses will be greatly lessened in number o