The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-17
Lights and Phones Given
Up and Jury Trials
May Be Ended.
ONLY $109 TO RUN
UNTIL JUNE 80
$335,OOO Turned Into u.
S. Treasury by Two
Branches Last Year.

Sans telephones and electric
lights. the United States and Dis
trict branches of Police Court are
confronted, with the probable neces.
sity of Immediately putting an end
to jury trials. owing to the de-
pieted condition Of the court treas
ury
These Institutions. which turned
into the United States Treasury
s3S5.ooo last year. are also on the
verge of holding sessions in frigid
courtrooms, in view of the fact that
the coal supply is nearing depletion
with no available funds for the re
plenishing of IL.
once supplies, including dockets.
printed forms, stationery and other
materials used in the daily activl-
ties Of the court, are also fast near
ing exhaustion, and already man3
antiquated papers are being used
to tide over the emergency.
Fund Nearly Exhausted.
All of these conditions, which
ho'S lh"P~NSu Tue
during the past several days, and
which tend to Indicate further hin
derances. are caused by the fact
that the contingent fund OF s4,5
allotted to cover these details has
the court must continue operations
until the end of the fiscal year,
June 30.
Despite the acuteness Of the. stu.
alton. which, according to opinions
expressed by some court officials,
may result in a complete suspen-
sion of the courts. Chief Clerk
Frank A. Sebring states that should
he incur expenses exceeding the
amount now available for contin-
gent expenses, he will face a Jail
sentence. as such fs contrary to
law"
Curtailment OF electric lights hes
beeP objected to by both Judge
Robert Hardison and Judge John
Mcmahon. because Of the fact tina,
this necessary reduction In. Aex-
cry factor concerned In the prose.
cution of cases.
Darkness Inconvenient.
The darkness of the eourtrooms
during the past several days has
also caused considerable incorven-
ience to Assistant District Attorney
Ralph Given. owing to the fact that
In the reading of papers offered IN.
evidence II has been necessary for
him to stand by the window In or
der to secure sufficient light.
The appropriation of $4,000 made
last year for jurors fees Is prac-
tically exhausted owing to the great
number of jury trials which have
been demanded by alleged violators
of the national prohibition laws.
with the result that abolition of
jury trials may soon become neces-
sary.
This condition arose on one
previous occasion in the history of
the courts. at which time jurors
who served in cases were forced to
wait two years for their money.
With regard to Jurors fees. Chief
Clerk Sebring declared that
clause in the District appropria-
tion bill now before the Senate and
which passed the House on Feb
rYary Z, threatened to further dis
dbpt the courts
Does Away with Jury Fees.
The clause referred to by Chief
Clerk Sebring reads as follows
For compensation of Jurors,
50. s.0oo-Provided. that none of the
money appropriated In this act
shall be available for the payment
of jurors fees unless the actual
cost of the trial jury be taxed as
part of the costs and Judgment rem
dered therefor, to be paid by the
unsuccessful litigant: provided fur
ther that no person In default of
payment thereof shall be i'm
prisoned on that account"
This clause, according to Sebring,
apparently does away entirely with
jurors fees. although he asked for
$4,000 to meet the increasing ex-
penses of july trials.
In the wording of the law, 1t Is
pointed out, the sum of $4,000 had
Just as well as not be there be-
cause with no penalty for refusing
to pay the cost of a jury trial, no
person convicted can be compelled
to pay.
In case the. United states or the
District of Columbia is unable to
secure the conviction of defendant
by jury, 1t is stated by court off,
cials. 1t will be impossible to COM
pei either the Federal government
or the District government to pay
the costs. .. 49,
II the law passes the Senate and
is subsequently signed by the Presi-
dent, they say, jury trials for the
next fiscal year may be abolished as
there will be nc funds available
from the government or the con-
victed person to, pay the jurors.