Evening star., 1921-06-23
SUFFERS
|NCL0GGED COURT
More Than Half on Bail Here
+. Are Never Tried Because
of Few Judges.

More than half the persons indicted
in the District Of Columbia who are
able to give bail are never tried and
escape punishment entirely because
of the inadequate facilities Tor the
trial of criminal cases in the District
Supreme Court. due to the shortage
in the number of justices. An exam
ination of the records Of the local
criminal courts and of the Office OF the
Emitted States attorney disclosed this
condition today.
United States Attorney Laskey re-
ported that about 1.s0o cases are Still
pending for trial In his Office. in about
100 OF which the accused are in jail
leaving 400 At liberty on bond. Un-
less Congress comes to the aid Of the
court with additional justices. 1t IL
pointed out, abouA 700 Of these ac-
cused persons will go unpunished. MT
Laskeys Office, through trials, pleas
of guilty and 'nolle presses. disposed
of 1900 cases during the past fiscal
year, as compared with LIZ cases
finished in the fiscal year 1920. The
grand jury reported l.sso i,.l indicimen.S ;n.nnS
was made in the accumulated busi'
ness of the office. which has beer
away behind for many years. Ihe
racorls since 1900 show that less thar
60 per cent Of the bail cases have ever
been tried.
Affects Other Branches.
This congestion is about equal!
marked in the equity and circuit
branches of the court. where delay
amounting almost to denial OF 1ustlce
hv lQck nf justices
II is assested. Morgan H. Beach
clerk of the court. pointed out the
fact that there has been no increase
in the number of justices OF the cour'
since 1879, when Washington had g
population of only 1882 while the
437.571. The population has nearly
trebled and litigation has necessar'
iiy been on the increase in proper
ton. The increasing number OF ma.
tional cases. raising novel propositions
of law, in connection with the vari.
and government agencies like the In
terstate Commerce Commission. ths
FEDERAL Trade Commission and the
alien property custodian. he shows
has retarded the work of the courts
When the court convened last Octo'
ber it faced a calendar OF law case:
'totaling 1.345. which by trials anc
settlements out of court has been re.
duced $40, leaving a balance of S0s
cases unheard. Since that calendar
was prepared nearly 1000 law case:
have been filed which will be read!
for trial in October. making more
than 1900 likely on the new list fol
the fall term.
Equity Courts Crowded.
Even a greater increase of busines:
and added congestion is shown in thu
en,,ity courts. This calendar. June
40 last, showed only ninety-six case'
unheard- but during the past year {
total of 469 cases have been nad'
ready for hearing. while only 192 hav'
heen eliminated by DEGREES and dis
missals. This leaves 373 cases await
inS July, August and Septembel
enough to bring the total up to sol
MT Beach calls attention also tt
the number of motions. bothfu Law
end equity. which the justices hav'
to hear and consider: During the pas
fiscal year 1877 motions were hears
in law cases and $50 in equity. Th'
imdees also presided at 454 lunac,
hearings, which required the signing
Of 1.671 orders. The also heard con
demnation cases to the number o.
eighty-three in which 379 orders wer'
signed and ninety-nine pesltions u
as We'll as $40 orders il bankruptc!
proceedings. Applications for natu
raiization to the number of 1,760 wer'
also entertained and acted upon b!
the court during the past fiscal year
A considerable portion of the tim.
Of one of the Justices is occupied will
the consideration and signing of oc
ders in the Probate Court. During th'
past year the orders in this branch o
the court totaled 6,596.
illness and absence Of judges o
the Court of Appeals took one o
the justices from the court for -;
period Of practically four months
during the past year.