Evening star., 1931-12-07

cable to the United States district
courts, including the Supreme Court of
the District, to the effect that indict-
ments shall not be invalidated because
Of the presence of ineligible grand jurors
If not less than IL eligible jurors vote
for the indictment. A rule which would
require disclosure of grand jury pro-
ceedings would be Objectionable, but this
proposal could be applied in practice by
disclosure Of nothing more than the
number Of grand jurors voting for the
indictment Supplementing this pro-
posal, legislation should be adopted
limiting the time for making notations
to quash indictments because of dis
qualifications OF grand jurors.
Urges Legislation.
''The above proposals relating to
criminal cases should be made appli-
cable to the Supreme Court of the
District Of Columbia. In addition,
legislation should be enacted applicable
to that court revising the present law
respecting the qualifications of grand
and petty jurymen and authorizing ap-
proved and more efficient methods of
selecting the names of qualified per-
sons to be placed in a box from which
is drawn the lists of those to be sum-
moned for jury service"
The eligibility of jurors in the United
states District Courts is now determined
by the law in force In the respective
States and no change in that system is
desirable, but in the District of Colum-
bia different condition prevails. Many
grounds of ineligibility now exist which
have no real relation to availability or
impartiality of jurymen. The task of
making up lists of eligibles for Jury
service is especially difficult in the
District, where so many grounds of in
eligibility exist, because of the nature
OF the population, and because there
aren OF in the District, as there are in
the States, poll lists from which the
names OF eligible residents may be
obtained
The justices of the Supreme Court
OF the District have gone as far as the
present law permits, In improving the
fnetnods or drawing jurors and in
guarding against the, presence of in
engloles. Within the past two years the
justices OF that court have revolu-
tionized their administrative methods
OF conducting the courts business and
have adopted an efficient system; the
criminal docket is practically current
ana great progress has been made in
disposing of equity cases. Although the
docket OF civil jury cases is still con-
gesteo, the approved methods of ad-
mlnlstratlon and the diligent efforts of
the justices which are being directed
at these problems point TO a removal of
the congested conditions at no distant
date. The adoption of the proposals
herein made respecting criminal cases
VIII complete the legislation presently
needed by that court"
Other Recommends tions.
The recommendation of the Attorney
General was one of four point pro-
gram designed to imprfson criminals
more quickly after arrest, and to set
free the innocent.
Besides the grand jury recommenda-
tions ne wants:
Nine new district judges. with IT
judgeships, now temporary, to be made
permanent.
Defendants to be allowed to waive
the requirement of indictment by a
grand jury.
The Supreme Court to be authorized
to draft uniform rules to be enforced
in criminal cases after Verdicts in the
District Courts and the Circuit Courts
OF Appeal
Embodied in his annual report also
was the news that he will specify soon
how the bankruptcy laws might best be
amended, being convinced by study in
his department that at present these
are failing. President Hoover, who or
dered the inquiry, will get the first re-
port on its results.
The Mitchell document carried with
it reports by his subordinates.
G. Aaron Youngquist. assistant in
charge of prohibition, said liquor cases
disposed Of during the year ending June
80 totaled 1858, compared with ST.
437 for 1890
Prohibition Director Woodcock calcu-
lated that agents under him made g.
1T arrests and seized 8499 automobiles
76 boats and 81 Sal stills.
A total of 81, 1850 persons were con-
victed, 30,108 received Jail or peniten-
tiary sentences and 36,341 fines were
imposed. The average fine was Sl54
and the average sentence 224 days.
His proposals for additional judge
ships were recommended by the last
conference of senior circuit judges
District iudgeships would be made per-
manent in Massachusetts (2), southern
district of New York (2), Eastern New
York Western Pennsylvania, Eastern
Michigan. Eastern Missouri, Western
Missouri, New Jersey, Northern Texas
Northern Ohio, Southern California,
Arizona, Southern Iowa and Minnesota,
along with the circuit judgeship that Is
now temporary in the ninth circuit on
the Pacific Coast.
Additional judgeships would be Gre
ated in the southern district OF New
York (2), Southern California (2),
Eastern New York, Northern Georgia,
West Virginia, Southern Texas, Western
Missouri.