Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-19
BILLS TOPUT j.
TIGHT SCREWS
ON CRIMINALS
Four Already introduced to
Eliminate Weaknesses of
Law and Officials.
CHECK PAROLE POWERS

That inadequate laws. court leniency
and the wholesale exercise Of executive
parole and pardon powers are response =
BILE largely for the present crime wave
has been recognized by members Of the
Legislature and steps are being taken :
ITO eliminate these weaknesses. 81,
Already four bills have been intro 81
duced three in the Senate and one I'M 1
the House, to increase the penalties for
ssome Of the ofYenses which have becomea,
common in the last few months. One bill'
has been amended to- prevent courts
from suspending sentences in certain
cases and another will be amended along
the same lines. Another amendments
provides for the curtailment Of PARDON"
ing and paroling by the Governor
One bill. which is ready to be placed =
on It's passage, provides for penalty or
ten to twenty one years and a fine OF"
81, 600 to $1,000 for robbery by violence In .
first Offenses. For a second offense the
bill provides that the convicted person
shall be imprisoned for life.
BARS SUSPENSION 80
OF JUDGMENT.
The bill, which was introduced by
Senator William f. English Of Indianap- q,
oils, has been sent back to a committee
with instructions to amend it to provide
that no court may suspend Judgment In
cases of this kind. A similar bill has
been introduced in the House, but has
not been brought up to the point Of be-
ing amended. -
Perhaps the most drastic bill Increase
ing penalties is that introduced By SEN
ator William A. Mccullough Of Rockport
It provides life Imprisonment for burg
larry, even when the crime is the first Of
Tense. The bill also provides life i'm
prisonment for persons assisting in burg
larry. In cases where murder is COM =
mitted by any one in the act Of commit
ting burglary or a hold-up or by any
one assisting a burglar to ESCAPE the
death penalty is provided. The bill also
provides for a penalty of ten to twenty, ~
years and a fine of $1,000 for highway
robbery. "a
The hrst movement to limit the par
doning and paroling power Of the Gov-u'
ernor came IN the form Of an amend
ment in the Senate to a bin introduced I. ,
by Senator Lee J. Hartzell Of Fort
wayne fixing a penalty Of ten to twenty
years imprisonment and a dne Of $1tds1
10 s.. 900 for vehicle taking.
REQUIRES CONSENT
OF THREE OTHERS.
The amendment provided that in cases
of vehicle taking the Governor should
not have the power 10 parole or PARDON \
q convicted person without the unani-
nous consent of a board composed Of the
secretary Of State, the treasurer Of State
and the auditor Of State. The amend
ment also provides that. no court shall
have the power to suspend Judgment in
these cases. This amendment was rec t'
commended In a committee report and 70
was adopted by a unanimous vote. IS
It is considered significant that the -
action of the Senate follows the report to
that body of former Governor James r =
Goodrich setting out 1915 cases in which -
clemency was extended to convicted per- 81
sons. In a large number of these cases ?
the convicted persons were serving SEN
fences for vehicle taking aud kindred
grimes. a.
~, The fact that many courts have sus-
pended stences imposed against automo-'~
bile thieves and persons who have com
mitted even graver crimes. moved the =
Senators to place safeguards in their
bills. The suspension of sentences. It
was recalled by the Senators, has beeno 2
especially noticeable in indianapolis.