Show traffic courts need more dimity dignity 0 judge declares adoption of the elaborate regalia and the pomp and dignity of english law in our traffic courts would materially decrease americas huge auto death toll by impressing violators with the importance of the traffic laws and the seriousness of their violation suggests judge harry H porter of the municipal court of evanston DI in an article in a 2 recent issue of northwestern uni vers itys journal of criminal law and criminology 1 I have always maintained that the proper time to teach a defendant respect for the traffic laws is the first time he appears in court states this jurist if he is duly impressed with the majesty of the law at this time you have gone a long way to cut him from the ranks of the repeaters the dignity of the court should have a psychological effect on the offender calculated to accomplish fully as much as the actual passing of sentence certainly any attempt to be dignified on the part of the traffic judge and court officials in one of our average american traffic courtrooms As is ludicrous when the physical surroundings roun dings are taken into consideration and at the best the average defendant can carry away only a very poor opinion of the american judicial system judge porter says that in in many cases traffic violation bureaus are found to be wholly unconnected with the courts being handled by the police department too often under these circumstances the offender becomes a mere source of revenue and no attempt is made to convince the violator violater of the seriousness of his offense or the necessity of refraining fra ining from future violations mass production methods made necessary by shortage of personnel and disgrace fully poor equipment and quarters tend to make the impression that the assessment of fines and costs is merely a license for violations under these circumstances the acceptance of over the counter fines should by all means be discouraged an important revision suggested by the judge is the establishment of a statewide state wide system of traffic courts under one chief justice and divided into district courts on a population basis the states must retain the right to regulate all motor traffic within their borders cities and towns must be barred from enacting legislation at variance with their own state laws A determined effort must be made to enact a standard motor code tor for all the states |