Traffic Court

COMMON PLEAS Judge Gary Glazer told the state House Judiciary Committee on Friday that he was surprised at the "seemingly insatiable demand" for ticket-fixing at Traffic Court, even after the state Supreme Court put him in charge in December, when it was clear the FBI was investigating the practice. On one occasion, a ward leader who called Glazer's office asked for a message to be passed to a Traffic Court judge about a friend with a ticket. "How does that help me?" the ward leader later asked when told the message had gone to Glazer.

Common Pleas Court Judge Gary S. Glazer, the reformer brought in to drive out corruption at Philadelphia Traffic Court, was joking - sort of. Glazer predicted that it would take just an hour for the culture of corruption in the court to come roaring back once he left his post as supervising judge. An aide said Glazer had it all wrong. His prediction: 15 minutes. Glazer told the story Friday as he appeared before a legislative panel considering a plan to abolish Traffic Court and replace its elected judges with hearing examiners who are part of Municipal Court.

WHEN the state House Judiciary Committee comes to town on Friday to hold a hearing on Senate Bill 334 to abolish Traffic Court, and put Municipal Court in charge of traffic violations, it should consider the candidacy of Warren Bloom. Unless SB334 is quickly passed and signed into law, Bloom is poised to win the crowded Democratic primary on May 21 and take the bench as one of three new Traffic Court judges. Why? Because in a drawing held Wednesday for ballot position among the 41 Traffic Court candidates -you read that right, there are 41, although 23 are facing legal challenges to their candidacy - Bloom won the No. 1 spot.

THE STATE House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Friday on two bills designed to wipe Philadelphia's Traffic Court from the face of the commonwealth. There are plenty of people worried about that. Some include the 41 people seeking three vacant seats on the court. Add to that the Traffic Court workforce of 114. That's a lot of patronage jobs at risk. We also hear that Harrisburg is getting concerns from big-ticket Traffic Court contract-holders who want to know how the legislation will affect their business.

IT'S a go-big-or-go-home campaign year for Philadelphia Traffic Court, with 23 of the 39 candidates for three open seats now facing legal challenges to their nomination petitions or financial-disclosure forms. Candidates had to file petitions with at least 1,000 signatures from registered voters in the city by March 12. The deadline to challenge those documents in Common Pleas Court was Tuesday at 5 p.m. A list of the challenged candidates can be found at ph.ly/challenge. The Philadelphia City Commission on Wednesday will select ballot positions for the candidates, with a top position often the easiest path to victory.

At least one Philadelphia lawmaker - State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas - is making a bid to save Philadelphia Traffic Court. Thomas announced a proposal Monday to turn six Traffic Court judgeships into court masters, who would conduct fact-finding hearings on alleged traffic violations but leave it to a Municipal Court judge to determine whether a driver is guilty. Thomas said he was as angry as anyone else about the Traffic Court's ongoing corruption problems - most recently, the federal indictment of nine current and former judges for alleged fraud and conspiracy in a massive ticket-fixing operation.

In 1987, Jeff Greenfield, a former speechwriter for Bobby Kennedy turned journalist, was asked what his advice would be were he on the staff of Gary Hart. At the time, the former senator from Colorado was the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president. Amid rumors of his womanizing, he had challenged the press to follow him - proclaiming that they'd be very "bored. " Sure enough, a sex scandal erupted. Greenfield said he would tell Hart that, considering the breadth of his ideas, legislative accomplishments, and temperament, he was uniquely qualified to be president.

A longtime Chester County magistrate judge claims that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court violated his constitutional rights when it suspended him without pay because he was charged with fixing tickets at Philadelphia Traffic Court. In a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia, District Judge Mark A. Bruno describes himself as "an extremely hardworking" and respected jurist who has been unable to pay bills or find work since being removed Feb. 1, when federal prosecutors announced charges against him and eight other former or current Traffic Court judges.