Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-26
laws OF DISTRICT
MAY Be REVISED
Congress Will Be Asked to
Make Changes in Dis
trict Code.

Congress at its next session is
to be asked to revise the code of
laws for the District of Columbia.
Several amendments and addi-
tions looking to the correction of
apparent defects in the code and
to make some changes in the pro-
cedure before the courts are to
be embodied in a bill which is to
be made ready for presentation to
Congress in the early days of the
session. Other changes, regarded
as not so pressing, will be re-
quested later of the legislators.
Chief Justice Covington has selected
a representative committee of the bar
to have charge Of the proposed re-
vision The committee had an informal
meeting with the justices of the Dis
trict Supreme Court yesterday, and
later organized.
Member of Committee.
Adolph A. Hoehling was selected as
chairman of the committee and George
E. Sullivan as secretary. Other men,
bers are Leon Tobriner, James S. Easily
Smith and ]. Spalding Flannery. These
five lawyers will hold weekly meet
ings to discuss the changes which may
occur to them as needed in the pres
ent code and such as may be suggested
by others.
To in to
gestions from the justices of the Court
of Appeals, the judges of the Municipal
Court, Judge Latimer OF the Juvenile
Court, the Attorney General of the
various executive departments of the
government. The Chamber of Commerce
and the Board of Trade also will be
asked to express the views of business
men as to needed changes in the laws.
A notice has been posted by the COM
mittee inviting members of the bar as
sociatfon and of the bar generally to
submit five copies, one for each member
of the committee, of such changes as
they desire to have proposed to Con-
gresS.
1t Is understood that the justices of
the District Supreme Court informally
discussed with the committee some
changes which have become almost I'm
perative One of these suggestions of
Interest to the citizens generally is a
proposed increase in the number of
Jurors in the circuit courts and in
Criminal Court No. when holding civil
business.
Much Delay Caused.
Much delay is caused in the law
courts by what Is known as the long
panel" demand. Each court has twenty
six Jurors under the present system,
and to constitute long panel twenty
names must be presented by the clerk
to the lawyers on both sides. From this
list each side is allowed to strike four
names, and the remaining twelve shall
form the jury to try the case.
Under the present method, If jury of
twelve is considering a verdict, there
are only fourteen available jurors for
the next case on the call. Should de-
mand be made for a long panel, the
court must suspend business until the
return of the jury with its verdict. As
knotty problems are sometimes in
yolved in the jury's consideration of its
verdict, one, two, or even three hours
may elapse before those twelve men
become available for a long panel.
1t is now proposed to summon enough
Jurors in each of the courts where law
suits are being tried to obviate this
delay and to allow the next case to
proceed as soon as the other jury has
retired to consider it's verdict.
Changes looking to the simplifcation
Of practice are also expected TO be
urged