Traffic Judges Favor Police, Report Says
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NEW YORK — Judges in New York’s traffic court system are pressured to maintain high conviction rates and to give police officers special guidance to make successful cases, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The report, based on an 11-month investigation by the state bar association and obtained by the Daily News, said supervisors pressure judges to set higher fines and increase convictions. In addition, officials at the Department of Motor Vehicles track the percentage of guilty and not guilty verdicts and average fines, and judges are required to review their monthly records with their superiors.
The report also said judges are “virtual advocates for the police” and routinely ask the officers leading questions to help them make their cases.
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