Judge — September 2, 1882 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This two-panel satirical cartoon critiques a new police procedure allowing magistrates to operate from police headquarters during late-night hours (4 PM to 10 AM) to handle bail for most crimes. **Panel 1:** A judge attempts to sleep on a bench while police officers and figures surround him, suggesting the absurdity of judicial work in such conditions. **Panel 2:** The judge is now awake and animated, "hearing the complaint" from what appears to be an arrested person. The satire targets the quality and legitimacy of "midnight justice"—implying that justice administered at odd hours, in police stations rather than proper courts, is hasty, corrupt, or compromised. The exaggerated expressions and cramped setting mock the informal, late-night judicial process as inadequate and farcical, raising concerns about due process and judicial integrity.