Evening star., 1924-01-02
POLICE COURT FINDS
BUSY YEAR IN 1923
81, 4,389 Cases Handled-Increase of
About 40 Per Cent Above
1922 Total.
FINES REACH BIG AMOUNT
$461 ,164 Paid Into U. S. and D, G.
Branches During Period. : :

The year 1923 was marked by a
large increase in Police Court busi-
| hess. as shown by rough draft of
the official report of the several de-
partments of the court filed yesterday
with Chief Clerk Frank Sebring.
During the year there was a total
| Of 54,3S9 cases of all kinds filed in the
courts. made up of 9.115 for the
United States and 1924 for the Dis
trict of Columbia, which includes the
| large number of traffic cases. In the
| number filed in the United States
branch there are included 1,s4s whisky
or violation of the national prohibi-
\ tion law cases. There has been a ma
terial increase in the traffic as well
! as whisky cases.
F., The total of moneys received and
| paid out during the year. as shown
| by the annual report of Financial
Clerk Andrew j. Sanford and his as
ststant, Thomas Adams, was $685.
95S.32. 1t is estimated that the in
crease In the number of cases over
| l9S2 filed in both the United States
and District of Columbia branches.
including the traffic branch, will eX-
Ceed more than 10 per cent. OF the
United states major cases in Assist
ant United States District Attorney
| Ralph Given'S office. made up OF cases
or assaults, assaults with deadly
weapons, carrying concealed weap-
| oha ana similar cases. there remain
less than 100 cases docketed for trials
by 1uries undisposed Of
| Ihe financial receipts from the Dis
trlct of Columbia branch, including
traffic cases, We're 344 ,159.S and from
| the United States branch, which in
cludes lines and forfeitures in whisky
! cases which>amounted to s117 1904 SIS.
s461, ,164.52. Compared with receipts
Tor 1922 these figures show the in
crease over that year to have been
| sSl,41l.l2 Then the report shows
that the collaterals handled by the
| financial clerks office and returned
to defendants amounted to s12s77I.s0
| ana there remain on the books in
| cases undecided or collaterais un-
called for sS,O22, making the grand
.otal o1 financial receipts handled in
! the court for 1928 of 59S 95S32
The annual report for 1928 showing
! the operations of the prohibition en-
, ,torGement branch of the Police Court.
prepared by Assistant District Attor-
neys David A. Hart and Thomas T..
Lodge. to be submitted to Maj Pey-
ton Gordon, United States district 1T
| torney, is as follows: Cases filed
during the year. 1.S4S; cases undis-
posed OF and of record in which de-
Iehuants demand trials by juries, 3SS
| some or these old cases date back to
is2l and 1922, but the majority of the
untr1ed cases on the docket are of
1873. Then follows a reconciliation
OF the cases: Tried by juries. 81: con-
victed. 80; acquitted. is: hung juries
I: tried by the court. 191: convicted,
I4o; acquitted. 81: pleading guilty,
ol3; cases nolle prosecuted, 131. The
report shows that there were convict
ed Dy Jurles or the court in these
cases 112. in most of which heavy
nnes were paid, probably averaging
sZo0, making the receipts from that
| source S34,400 An effort will be
made by Mr.. Lodge and Mr.. Hart to
cases early this year.