The Washington times., 1922-12-03
Police Court Justice Says He
Depends Largely on Public
and Newspapers for Solution
INVITATION IS EXTENDED
Policemen and Shyster Law
yers Said to Be Active In Co..
Iusion to Defraud Prisoners

known to act in collusion with
professional bondsmen in the
matter of obtaining bond and
counsel for persons arrested,
Judge Robert N. Hardison in
Police Court has extended an in
vitation to the general public to
be present at the special session
of the court Tuesday night.
WILL BE OPEN COURT.
What was intended at first to be
an executive session Of the court
will now be an open session. The
change was made in order to en-
able any person who might have
information on the subject to come
forward and tell what he knows
and also because information has
reached the judges which convinces
them that the unlawful practices Of
the policeman and bondsmcn are so
numerous and SO extensive as to
require assistance from the public.
Judge Hardison stated that both
the public and the newspapers
would be greatly depended upon to
investigate and put the dishonest
persons out Of business. However,
It is not the object Of the court to
entertain a lot of curiosity seekers
and consequently Judge Hardison's
Invitation to attend the session ex.
tends only to the following persons:
1-Those who have been arrest
ed and have had some sort OF an
experience with a bondsman or
policeman that looked to be off
color"
2-Those who have had law
yer wished on them other than
the lawyer they originally INTEND
ed IN have as counsel at the trial.
a-Those who did not intend
originally to have any lawyer at
ali and were 'bull l-dozed" or per-
e,aded to employ this or that
lawyer practically against theie
own wishes or best judgment.
-Those who have been led py
bondsmen to believe that the OF
tense with which they were
charged was far more serious
than it really was and consequenl.
" had to pay a higher pn,,id
on a higher bond than they wou'o
s-Those who have first-hand IN
formation as to any unlawful ac-
tivitv of either the bondsmen OF
nolicemen, whether they were eye
vitnesses to the transaction.
ALI attorneys who have run
sfoul OF the bondsmen or policemen
and lost business because they
you'd not split their fees.
All persons who have been
arrested and found a bondsmah
waiting for them when they ar
rived at the precinct.
.s-Tbose who have been deceived
into thinking a bondsman was q
,awver and could defend them IN
court and consequently paid the
Sondsran two fees and then dis
covered that a third fee would nave
to he paid to a lawyer when the
trial took place.
a-Anybody who knows anything
st all about the situation or knows
az anyone else who does. -
INFORMAL SESSION.
Judges Hardison and Mcmahon
have decided on an informal ses-
s,on OF the court. The rules gov
erning procedure in criminal
trials win be suspended to meet the
needs of the investigation. As
result, hearsay testimony win be
admitted. Witnesses will be al
iuwed to testify as to what they
have heard in order to allow the
court to run down all clues and
leads which might result In the
Identification of the guilty persons.
what is admittedly going to give
the court the most trouble is the
identity of the guilty policemen and
detectives. The names OF the bonds
men are already known. There are
% few professional bondsmen In
Washington--there being only eight
vho do q regular business-that 1t
viii be an easy matter to investi.
eate their special activities.
Inspector Charles A. Evans, as
sistant superintendent Of the Metro
nolitan Police Department. will be
an hand at the hearing. having or.
ders to that effect from Maj. Daniel
sullivan. the superintendent.
One conspicuous feature about
the whole unlawful business is the
rise and fall Of certain attorneys
who have no special ability and are
known as ''necessity lawyers" They
are 90 dubbed because Of the old
adage which states that necessity
knows no law"
NJ Every now and then, II has been
noticed. one Of these lawyers win
suddenly have more practice than
ne can handle. II matters not how
many cases he loses HIS practice
continues and he makes - barrel
OF money Then, just ~ suddenly,
hls practice falls Off. The solution
Of this seeming perplexing prob
lem 10 that the lawyer IN question
hes had q disagreement with the
bondsmap with whom he had an
alllance--the alliance calling for so
per cant Of the fees received BY the
lawyer being paid 70 ths boodsnaa.