Traffic Court

HARRISBURG - The state Senate unanimously voted to abolish Philadelphia's embattled Traffic Court, just weeks after nine of the court's former and current judges were charged in a sweeping federal probe into ticket-fixing. Without debate, the chamber on Wednesday passed two bills. The first would eliminate the seven-member court from the state constitution, which would require several years to accomplish. The second would hobble the court in the interim by transferring its responsibilities to Philadelphia Municipal Court.

Two retired Philadelphia Traffic Court judges pleaded guilty today to fixing tickets, becoming the first members of the bench to admit what prosecutors say was a rampant and corrupt practice in the city. H. Warren Hogeland, 75, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud in a hearing before U.S. District Judge Robert Kelly. Three hours later, former judge 76-year-old Kenneth N. Miller sat in the same chair in the same room and pleaded guilty to mail fraud. The pleas marked the first since federal authorities unsealed an indictment last month accusing nine current or former judges, and members of their staffs, of routinely fixing tickets for friends, associates and political power brokers.

Fixing tickets puts lives at risks While the Traffic Court scandal certainly undermines confidence in the court system ("Traffic Court tie-up," Feb. 1), too little has been said about the stated purpose of Traffic Court - to make our roads and highways safer. To let a group of drivers know that they may disobey the reasonable laws of the road with little consequence serves to make our roads unsafe for others. That means any ticket-fixing judge or official is indirectly responsible for accidents triggered by drivers who know there will be no penalty.

WATCHING the parade of Philadelphia Traffic Court judges surrendering last week at the federal courthouse, we wondered if the latest ticket-fixing scandal and resulting criminal charges would change much of anything. Traffic Court scandals come and go in Philly. The names of the judges change, but the scam stays the same. Political pull is the currency that trumps everything. But this mess - nine current and retired judges, one former court official and two businessmen facing charges - may be Traffic Court's tipping point.

YO, PHILLY, your shoulders must be tired. I call it "The Philly Shrug," a maddening "whadya-gonna-do?" attitude that all but ensures that nothing that needs changing in this city gets changed. Litter? Disgraceful! But - shrug - whadya-gonna-do? (I'm not making this up . . . lots of people have actually said this to me.) Schools? The worst! But - shrug - they've been a mess forever. (Ditto.) Crime. Shrug - and duck. Seriously, I would think you were all shrugged out. But not even close.

NOT LONG AGO, too many Philadelphians drove around with expired registrations or licenses, or without insurance, all of which drove up the cost of car insurance for everyone. The state passed a law in 1996 that gave police the power to immediately confiscate cars when they pulled over an offender, but this "Live Stop" program was rarely enforced. In 2001, one crusading judge took it upon himself to more aggressively enforce the "Live Stop" program, and assigned nine enforcement officers to impound cars of offenders.

PHILADELPHIA 3 judges suspended from Traffic Court The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday suspended without pay three of the nine judges indicted Thursday for what federal investigators called a massive "culture of ticket-fixing" at Philadelphia's Traffic Court. The suspended judges are Michael Sullivan, who had been administrative judge until being removed from the leadership post in December 2011 by the Supreme Court while the federal probe was still going on; Michael Lowry, and Chester County District Judge Mark Bruno, who heard cases in Traffic Court.

Three judges indicted in the Philadelphia Traffic Court ticket-fixing scandal were suspended indefinitely without pay Friday by the state Supreme Court. Traffic Court Judges Michael Lowry and Michael J. Sullivan and District Judge Mark A. Bruno of Chester County were relieved of their duties pending further action by the high court. Bruno occasionally heard Traffic Court cases. Common Pleas Court Judge Gary S. Glazer, administrative judge of Traffic Court, had immediately removed the judges from hearing cases after they were indicted Thursday.

As a Philadelphia Traffic Court judge, Fortunato "Fred" Perri Sr. cultivated a public image as a tough guy. His nickname was "the Terminator" - a reflection of his supposed willingness to jail bad drivers. But for a favored few, Perri couldn't have been friendlier. "When you call, I move, brother, believe me," he allegedly assured a Southwest Philadelphia businessman said to be in league with him in the fixing of tickets. "It will be all right. Don't worry about it," he reportedly told the same businessman on another occasion, assuring him that a ticket would be fixed as promised.

It was almost like the idle wish of someone on the way to Traffic Court to face yet another $30-a-month levy on top of existing now-to-eternity payment plans: What if, just for today, all of the judges got arrested? Indeed, on a day when nine current or former judges were appearing before judges, most courtrooms were empty in the Traffic Court building at Eighth and Spring Garden Streets. "We're down a fair number of judges due to suspensions, retirements, and indictments," said Administrative Judge Gary S. Glazer, brought in a year ago to change the culture at the now-hobbled Traffic Court.