Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-18
TWO GRAND JUR|ES
FOR DISTRICT URGED
BIeaSe introduces Resolution
in Senate as Way to Speed
Up Investigations.

A proposal to set up tive or more
grand juries in the District vt Colum-
bia instead Of one was advan1ed today
In resolution introduced in the Sem
ate by Senator Cole Blease, Democrat,
of South Carolina, as a means of speed
ing up criminal investigations here.
The South Carolina Senator asked
for immediate consideration of his
resolution, which seeks to have commit
tees of the House and Senate hold
hearings on the proposition, but at the
suggestion of Senator Jones, Republican,
of washington it was referred to the
judiciary committee for q preliminary
report.
Although the resolution would divide
Washington into two or more judicial
districts, Senator BleaSe explained IL
was not his intention to increase the
number Of judges and other court offi-
cials, but merely to make possible the
operation Of more than one grand jury
at time.
Charges Difference In Procedure.
In the course of his remarks, Senator
Blease declared that in Washington the
district attorney presents to grand
jury witnesses of defendant as well as
Government witnesses, asserting that he
had never seen this done in any other
jurisdiction.
The Blease resolution reads as fol-
lows:
"Resolved by the Senate (the House
Of Representatives concurring), That the
committee on judiciary of the House
of Representatives be and they are
hereby requested and directed to hold
Joint meetings and hearings to con-
slider the advisability and feasibility of
dividing the District of Columbia into
two or more judicial districts, each dis
trict to be provided with its own Sepa-
rate grand jury, in order to therepy
expedite, facilitate and promote the
speedy and effective administration of
Justice, and to report thereon to the
Congress of the United States at the
earliest practicable date"
Senator Blease began with the state
ment that he has been informed that
possibly 1t will take two or three years
in this district in order to get some
criminal cases tried that are now on
the docket"
In referring to what he said was
the procedure here, Senator Blease
continued:
"I have observed something here that
in a good long experience at the bar
l have never seen elsewhere. The pros
ecuting attorney goes into the grand
jury room and presents not only the
prosecuting witness, or what generally
are called the Government witnesses,
to the grand jury. but he presents the
defendants witnesses; and, instead OF
the grand jury making casual exam
ination to see whether there Is sufi-
cient evidence upon which to base the
finding of true bill. they try the case
and, II they find true bill, 1t is
virtually a verdict of guilty.
Cites Constitution on Trials.
"The Constitution of the United
States provides that in all criminal
prosecutions the accused shall enjoy
the right to speedy and public trial,
and, of course. it is necessary to have
true bill before man can be tried
on certain charges"
The South Carolinian then called at
tention to newspaper stories telling of
the seizure of large quantities of
dope" in a raid here, saying that he
wanted his colleagues on the Senate
District subcommittee to take notice of
this development.
Senator Blease said his idea in offer
ing his resolution is to arrange the Dis
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