The Washington herald., 1922-04-27
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ALEXANDRIA JURY
ADVISES CHANGES
IN DTYORCELAWS
Urges Years Continuous
Residence Be Required
By Statute.
JUDGE EXONERATED
Attorney Stuart's Motives
Declared by Investigators
mot Commendable."
JUDGE EXONERATED
THE HERALD BUREAU,
A. g. Doniphan,
TT KfuR atreet

III King Street.
ALEXANDRIA. Va, April as.-
The special grand jury that for
several weeks past has been en-
gagged in the task of probing the d.
vorce situation here. submitted to-
night a ma.ority report. signed by
seven members Of the jury, recon-
nending that the present law of
dcmicile and residence be changed
&c read SO that actual physical and
continuance residence. be required
for ass days or nights before any
enc can acquire dcmlcile and resi-
dence. and that the period required
before any divorce suit can be ma
tured after filing in court must be
at least one year.
The jury held that charges made
against Judge Robinson Moncure by
Attorney Frank Stuart, OF this city,
were not sustained.
Two other Reports Filed.
The jury declared that until the
changes II recommended are writ
ten upon the statute books II rec
commended that the court issue a
rule putting them into effect and the
court appoint ar attorney for the
court and that the attorneys and
witnesses for all of the litlgants in
all divorce suits live up to the let
ter and spirit of this Interpretation
of the law. This ,cburt attorney
ship would be rotated among the
members Of the bar. the fees to be
assessed as part OF the costs against
parties to the suit
This report was signed J. NJ. Dun
can, foreman; Frank T. King, WILL
lam Desmond. George X. Brawner.
Ben Abramson, Elliott F. Hoffman,
W. c. Dury.
Supplemental reports were filed
by Kenneth W. Ogden and Samuel
W. Pitts. members of the jury. Mr..
Ogden agreed with all contained in
the main report with the exception
of its last paragraph.
Admits Divorce EVIL.
Mr.. Pitts in his supplemental re-
port says there is no doubt that a
divorce evil exists in the city. and
that IL dates back for the past few
years. Its abnormal growth he at
tributes to hasty marriages made
during the war. He, however,
praises the integrity Of the Judge
in his report.
Mr.. Pitts. concluding his supple
mental report, says: II further be-
lieve that by reason of the public
ity and the fact that the evil has
been so fo-cibly brought to the at
tention of the court and the bar of
our city. that the evil already has
diligence on the part of the court
and the bar that our laws are suf-
ficient to correct the evil. As evil
dence Of this fact I call attention
of the court to the small number Of
divorces entered since the publicity
was started E--N
Judge Is Exoner.ted.
The main report sets forth that
the jury examined forty-eight wit
nesses, thirty being lawyers from
this city. and one from Washing
ton. Attorney Frank Stuart made
four specific charges against Judge
Moncure of the Corporation Court:
First. lax enforcement of the d.
vorce laws; second, failure to con-
mand respect: third, political ac-
tivities, and. fourth, lack of legal
qualifications.
The report says, IN our invest'-
CATION Of these charges we took the
testimony of thirty-one attorneys
as to Judge Moncure's legal fitness
and rightful conduct of his office.
Twenty-six of the attorneys gave
Judge Moncure unqualified ap-
proval: two attorneys approved
with reservations: two declined to
express opinions; one refused abso-
ldtely to comment except in two
instances: that is, that Judge Mon
cure constantly attended to the
business of the court and that no
evidence of dishonesty had been
found. Therefore the Jury must
conclude that Stua:t's charges are
not sustained ard sresdismisseI for
obvious rtSspns. In the opiipor Il
the jury Sttart was actuated by
motives not commendable.''
At a mass meeting of the Work.
mems Municipal League tonight at
the armory ten candidates were
nominated TO run for city council
In the election June 13. A special
committee OF five was named to Sc
lect five out of the ten nominated
to run. The ten nominated follow:
]. W. McCaffrey, member of the
present city council: w. ]. Spencer,
H. E. Chichester, F. c. Creighton,
IL "