DN Editorial: No joking, Traffic Court is a joke

TO BORROW a line from one local wag, Philadelphia Traffic Court so resembles a comedy club that it should require a two-drink minimum.

Except it's hard to laugh.

Consider Court Comedy Club's headliner, Willie Singletary. Yesterday, the state Supreme Court relieved him from any and all judicial and administrative responsibilities as a judge of Traffic Court, and suspended him without pay. Singletary was escorted out of court last year after a female staffer claimed he had shown her pictures of his genitals.

In 2007, he got a reprimand and probation after suggesting to potential donors that he'd give them a break in court. He was also once the proud recipient of $11,000 in traffic tickets. They included infractions for driving without a license and reckless driving.

Singletary will no longer be performing, but never fear: there may be a new up-and-comer for his act. Traffic Court judge Christine Solomon recently flunked a test required for traffic judges. She can retake the test in a few weeks but can't hear cases until she passes.

The test covers court procedures and traffic law. (Hint: Red light means "stop.") There ought to be a law that makes her failed test a public document so we can see more precisely the level of her knowledge gap.

In December, the Supreme Court removed Administrative Judge Michael Sullivan from his post, after a series of FBI raids on his home and office (as well as that of another judge). Chief Justice Ron Castille said an internal review found that Traffic Court had institutionalized favorable treatment for the politically connected.

Did we mention there are only seven Traffic Court judges?

Common Pleas Judge Gary Glazer is now overseeing Traffic Court, and is charged with the depressing task of fixing this mess.

We frankly don't know how this can be done, without abolishing the current system. Shockingly, that system does not require its judges to have a law background.

Traffic Court and the magisterial district courts are the only two in the state that don't require its judges to have legal background, otherwise known as "actual judicial qualificiations." It's simply an elected office and all that implies - meaning the political machine is ultimately in charge of dispensing justice. The fact that winners of this elected office are allowed to call themselves "judges" is a pretty gross miscarriage of what we should expect from justice.

It also adds plenty of fuel to the movement to end the election of judges.

Now consider the shenanigans of the branch of government where traffic violations begin - the Parking Authority. With this double whammy of politically driven operations, how do drivers stand a chance in this town? We should either outlaw driving or put a moratorium on tickets until the system is righted.

All of this would be hilarious, if it wasn't so depressing.