Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/161

 SOCIAL ASPECT OF NEW YORK POLICE COURTS I47

amounts to forty-two clerkships, plus fourteen other offices — a very considerable number of unusually desirable positions.

In New York city in 1897, 112,637 persons were arrested, of whom 76,859 only were held, committed, or convicted in these courts ; that is, of all those arrested only 68 per cent, were held. It is interesting to note that just ten years ago the same percent- age was held, and that the per cent, steadily decreased to 54 per cent, in 1894; from 1895 the percentage rapidly rises again to 68 per cent. It is impossible to say whether the decrease in the proportion held was due to leniency, laziness, or partisan favorit- ism, but it may be surmised that it was the result of all three.

The magistrate has the power of summary proceeding in such matters as disorderly conduct, intoxication, violation of corpora- tion ordinances, vagrancy, sabbath breaking and insanity, ungov- ernable child, abandoning or threatening to abandon family, suspicious person, etc. As such cases constitute 79 per cent, of the total number brought into court, no others need be consid- ered ; the other 2 1 per cent, are such as assault, attempting suicide, burglary, larceny, homicide, robbery, cruelty to animals, keeping disorderly houses, and violation of various other laws ; these are held to be finally tried in other courts and only appear in the magistrate's court in the primary instance.

Nearly 40 per cent, of all cases in this court are for " disor- derly conduct," which includes all offenses that directly disturb the peace either by noise or indecency. Of this number women have 9 per cent., which is almost wholly for intoxication, bad language, and soliciting on the streets. If we add the 15.7 per cent, of cases listed under the separate head of "intoxication," for 3 per cent, of which women are responsible, there is a sum total of 55 per cent, attributable to disorderly conduct, for 12 + per cent, of which women are responsible. That is, more than one-half the total work of the court is under this head, and one- eighth of it is attributable to women.

"Violation of corporation ordinances" stands next, with 16 per cent. This comprises such offenses as not carrying a light on wagon or bicycle, and many other minor misdemeanors, not coming under the sanitary law.