Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-21
TO EXPEDITE TRIALS
COMMISSIONER WEST BELIEVES
CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE.
Hearings in Police Board Cases Re-
garded as Fruitful Of Unneces-
sary Delay.

Believing that the present procedure OF
the police trial board in d.sposing Of police
cases is both slothful and fruitful of I'M
necessary delays, Commissioner West has
recommended to his colleagues that the
taking of stenographic reports of the pro-
ceedings be eliminated, or else two boards
be appointed to handle the cases. Commits
sioner West believes the progress of the
police trial board Is handicapped by the
| taking of much unnecessary testimony, tie
trying Of trivial offenses at much length,
and the taking of voluminous notes by Of
fetal stenographers which causes much de-
lay because they have to be Transcribed be-
fore the board can make disposition.
Commissioner West today received from
Maj. Sylvester list of the trial board
cases now pending for disposition. The
examination of this list shows that at the
present time forty-five cases are pending
for various untmportant reasons, and, &C
cOrding to Mr.. West, should have been
disposed of months ago.
Prominent among this long list of delayed
cases Is the Capt. Matthews and Lieut..
Mulhall case. The police officers were
tried more than two months ago upon
charges of neglect of duty, conduct un-
becoming officers and several other
charges in connection with the death of
Fireman Murphy Of the Southern railway,
who was crushed by an overturned engine
at 9Th and Maryland avenue southwest
September II last.
Inquiries Received.
Mr.. Vests attention was called to this
lack of progress on the part of the police
trial board several weeks ago when he re-
ceived pointed inquiries from persons why
certain cases had not been disposed of. He
wrote letter to Major Sylvester, chief Of
police, who had the number Of cases pend
Ing prepared, showing the names Of the
charged policemen, outlining the charges
and assigning the reason why they have not
been disposed of. Major Sylvester stated
as reason for this delay that his force
of stenographers is inadequate to keep up
with the vast amount of work assigned to
them.
Commissioner Vests recommendation to
the other Commissioners is as follows:
THE examination of this list showing
cases were pending for warriors reasons,
indicates that some arrangement should be
made whereby trials of police officers can
be expedited. This paper is, therefore, re-
turned to the major and superin tendent of
police in order that he may devise some
plan for securing this result. For instance,
there are two or three cases where officers
are charged with non-payment of debt in
which no decision has yet been rendered
owing to the fact that the stenographic
notes of the testimony have not been tran
scribed.
1t would seem as If a presentation of the
judgment against officer ought to be ac-
cepted by the trial board as evidence of in
debtedness without hearing test nony
thereon. In other words, the defense of
the officer should be made before the JUS
tice of the peace and not before the trial
board 1t would also seem reasonable to
suppose that where officers are charged
with violating the police manual, or with
being absent without leave neglect or
duty and disobedience of orders, that YER
batum reports of the testimony would be
unnecessary. This would also apparently
hold true when the charge is conduct unbe-
coming an officer, provided that the case is
not serious in its nature. Many of these
cases have been pending for weeks and
even months.
To Improve Discipline.
The value of these trials in improving
the discipline must consist largely in
prompt disposition of the cases. 1t might
be possible to secure a betterment of pres
ent conditions by appointing two trial
boards, one of which to deal entirely with
infractions Of police discipline, and which
could be settled without verbatim reports
of testimony, while the other board cou
undertake the Investigations of more Sc
rous allegations against the officers. 1t is
also noticed that the testimony taken is
frequently verbose and even irrelevant. The
force of stenographers at police headquar-
tiers is small and is crowded with routine
work of the department, so that when YER
batim reports of trials are taken there is