The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-13
FIERY DEBATE
MARKS MEETING
OF BAR GROUP
Report on Municipal Court
Reform Leads to Stormy
Session.

Attorneys VINO attended the Indl-
annapolis Bar Association meeting
Wednesday night at the Columbia
Club today probably were trying to
find out just what happened during
the three-hour battle.
The meeting was marked with
dozens of motions, many of which
were heard only by few persons,
others which were ignored and one
Or two that were strongly supported
to victory. -
Tie session was on edge until the
reading of the report for reform of
the criminal municipal courts and
then pandemonium broke loose.
Report Is Read
Paul G. Davis of the municipal
court investigating committee read
his report that contained the fol-
lowing statements: That certain
bondsmen and attorneys work to-
gether; the city prison is grossly
inadequate, and not a fit place for
confinement of large numbers Of
persons; that the municipal courts
are inadequate; there is lack of
harmony between the courts and
the police department, because "ot
lack of confidence in and respect for
each department of the government
for the other"
The report said there has been
resentment over appointment os
court bailiffS which now is in con-
troll Of the police department anG
which should be left to the courts;
that the prosecutors officer and the
courts do not harmonic and that
there is not proper respect for the
courts.
Recommendations Made
The committee recommended that
the prosecutor, court and police de-
partment work together to prevent
unnecessary arrests; that the po-
lice recognize the right of only the
court to fix bonds; that the prose-
cutor should be on hand to aid per-
sons against exorbitant bondmens
fees; that the civil and criminal
municipal judges rotate every thirty
days and that a permanent bar as
ISOLATION committee be named to
work with the courts.
The committee also incorporated
in its recommendations three Sec
tons that had to do with the ap-
pointment of municipal judges In
one, the statement was made that
judges should not be reappointed
for second term. This would have
a decided tendency to remove this
court from political influence" the
report stated.
Deferred Thirty Days
The report also set out that
judges should not hold any political
offices or be active in politics. An
other section seeks to have the gov
ernor ask the association for adj
vice in selecting judges.
The entire report, with the ex-
ception of the section that referred
to the second term appointments
of the judges, was deferred for
thirty days. The reappointment
section was killed on the floor of
the meeting.
Before this was done, however,
political alignments began to ap-
pear. Friends of the incumbent,
Judge Dan v. White, whose term
expires Dec. 81, formed in a group, \
and waged the battle for rejection
of the non-reappointment section;
supporters of Thomas G. Whallon
and those of william H. Sheaffer,
candidates for the place, stood in
favor of the section.
Cameron Objects
Then Clifton r. Cameron, judge
of one of the courts under investi-
cation, cut loose with this:
1.-THE committee members say
they talked to the judges before
making this report. I had perhaps
minute chat with two mem
bers of the committee and at an
other time Davis referred to the
matter in an incidental fashion.
"I've been on the court bench for
year and I don't know what to do
about the situation. The report of
his committee may be right. Ref
erence has been made to the chief
of police-there is the trouble. The
test is between the police depart
ment and the court.
Exception Is Taken
"Who is supposed to have the
privilege of fixing bonds and other
things? Not the chief of police, but
+lo courts Aud about the hailiffS