Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-02
BONDING RACKET
CHARGE M|N|M|zED
Prince Georges Officials In
cIined to View Lightly
A. A. A. Complaint.

While officials of the American Auto
mobile Association conferred on plans
to further their investigation OF the
alleged arrest and bond" racket
charges which they claim to have I'M
covered, and the Maryland commits
sioner of motor vehicles was awaiting
the report of his investigators, county
the seriousness of the situation revealed
by the test case at Hyattsville Wed
States Attorney ]. Frank Parran
declared it appeared to him as II q
mountain was being made out OF a
molehill. He declared 1t frequently
happened that oedcers, out OF sympathy
for the motorist, reduced charges from
speeding in excess of so miles an nour
To an miles an hour. 1t is natural" for
a bondsman to try to help his client OUT
by having serious charges reduced II
possible, the States attorney SAID.
UNIFORMED of Case.
Parran asserted he knew nothing
about the particular case involving
Sergt. John Joseph Cassidy except What
he had read in the newspapers ana Iro ron
that it appeared such test case was
mot going to get anywhere
"If the case comes before me ana
there are suficient facts to justify 1t, /
viii take the proper action" he SAID.
arr the newspapers devoted little
more time to defending police officers
rather than criticiZing them, the county
would be better off," was the comment
of County Commissioner WlIllam "A;
Duvall, in whose district the anegeo
bonding racket is being operated. How
ever If the officers are not right, they
do not deserve backing, OF course ne
Agreeing with the States attorney,
Commissioners Duvan voiced the sentl-
rnant that such an investigation as was
conducted by the A. A. A. and the
commissioner Of motor vehicles would
not get anywhere"
The automobile association, through
Ernest N. Smith, executive vice preM-
dent, sent the following letter 70 Gov
Albert c. Richie:
"The American Automobile Associa-
ton desires to call to your attention
the manner in which motorists passing
through Prince Georges County are
being yictimiZed on speeding charges IN
a wav that bears all the earmarKs OF d
racket, participated in by county ponce
officers and professional bondSnen;
Numerous complaints have been nled
with the A. A. A., and these were Of
such a character that we decided TO
launch an inquiry in order to protect
car owners using the highways of this
section.
Charge in Brief.
briefly. the practice is to charge
motorists with exceeding go miles per
hour in order that they may be required
to post a bond of $1,000, and then
amend the warrant to charge OF ex-
ceeding 40 miles per hour, provided the
defendant pleads guilty. MeanWnle'
the motorist, in the majority OF cases,
is forced to resort to the use OF bonds
men. suggested by county police, and to
pay 10 per cent on $1,000. 1t has been
shown that the bondsman acts as inter-
nediary and approaches the officer TO
have the warrant amended to the less
serious charge.
GAS a result of the complaints to
this association the cooperation OF
Col. e. Austin Baughman, commits
sioner of motor vehicles, was secured
for an investigation of the charges.
NAV / also say that Col. Baughman
was very much impressed with the
evidence of this wrongful application
of the MARYLAND motor vehicle laws
and rendered every possible co-opera-
"on last Saturday Col. Baughman
assigned Sergt. ]. j. Cassidy OF the
State police to assist the A. A. A.
in check-up on the complaints. Sergt.
Cassidy, with an A. A. A. representative,
was arrested late Sunday night while
travelling at a rate of IS miles per hour
and charged with speeding at Sc miles
per hour, although they were never ade-
uuately paced by the county officers,
who were in civilian clothes"
Arrested by Brown.
Cassidy was arrested by Constable
u %al~ kaf T1rcf San
of Peace George Phillips at Berwyn
where he posted the 81 900 bond. The