Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-02
1929 SETS RECORD
IN POLICE COURT
approximately 111,000
Cases Handled, an Increase
of 20, 900 Over 1928.

Police Court experienced the busiest
year in its history In 1929, according to
figures released today by william A.
Norgren, acting chief clerk of the court
This report reveals that approximately
Ill 900 cases have been handled up 10
the present time, an increase of 10000
cases over the entire year of 1928.
The court also enjoyed the most pros
porous period in history during 1929,
as Financial Clerk Sanford viii have
taken in $540, 900 by January /, accord
ing to Norgren. The previous record,
made last year, was sass, 1852.
While the court docket, especially that
of the jury branch, was considerably
crowded during the greater part of the
year, the number awaiting trials has
been considerably reduced in the past
report only 20 cases, which were made
previous to the year soon ending. The
number of these old cases was reported
to be 800 on October is.
Aided by Regulation.
The greatest single help to a clear
schedule is said to be the regulation
which went into effect May /, 1929.
which gives persons arrested for minor
attractions of traffic regulations, such
as improper parking, the privilege of
FORGETTING small collateral at the police
precincts. thus saving the court the
trouble and time of trying the case.
The new rule or law is pronounced a
great success both by the clerks of the
court and the judges.
Norgren announced that IS 900 cases.
which would have cluttered up the court
docket even more than was the case,
were disposed of In this way.
It Is interesting to note that while
90 many cases we're prevented from
entering the court, trafic cases show
an increase of over 10000 over last
year. This is attributed to the pro-
longed police drive of Midsummer
against violators Of the traffic regula-
tons. The work of the other courts
during 1929 than in the previous year,
the records show.
S23 Less Liquor Cases Handled.
The court records reveal that 523 less
prohibition cases have been handled
In the Police Court this year than last
In 1928, 2,123 cases were taken care OF.
while only 1900 have been passed on In
the court this year. This drop is at
tributed to the JoneS-Stalker law, which
went into effect in March of this year
approximately $50 of the cases han
died In the court were sent up to the
grand jury to be passed on under the
new law.
David A. Hart, assistant United States
attorney in charge of prosecution of
prohibition law violators at court, pro-
nounces the Jones law a complete sue
cess. In my opinion" Hart says, this
law has done all that it was created for.
1t has filled gap which the prohibition
act did not touch. 1t has punished the
main offenders, the makers, sellers and
tranSporters.
There have been very few changes
In personnel of the court outside of the
oh1ces of the United States attorneys
Two bailiffs. L. G.. Mattingly and Louis
Waldecker, have left the court because
Of serious illnesses. Bernard Baruch
has been added to the number Of these
attaches
Judge MattingIy Active.
Judge Robert z. Mattingly, who Is
regularly q judge of the Municipal
Court and acts as q substitute Police
Court magistrate, has spent about one
third Of 1929 in the latter court due to
the absence Of several of the judges
While William A. Norgren, chief as