Evening star., 1932-02-29
president URGES
LAW CORRECTION
Capital Dry Act and Change
in Bankruptcy and Grand
Jury Methods Asked.
Continued From First Page)

that the National Capital should be the
model of city law enforcement In the
Nation, President Hoover is OF the
opinion that the duties and powers OF
the District Commissioners and the
Metropolitan Police force should be
more sharply defined and enlarged so
as to open the way for better cooper
alton In the enforcement Of prohibition
between the local officials and the pro-
hibitions officers of the Federal Gov
eminent.
The President, while realizing that
there is need for legislation to improve
conditions in the Capital. does not con-
slider conditions here as what might be
described as bad" He expressed him
self to this extent in his annual mes
sage to Congress in 1929, in which he
stated that while conditions here are
much better than in many other cities
ttev are far from perfect. At that time
he said the congestion Of criminal
cases in the Supreme Court Of the Dis
trict, resulting in long delays, was prob
ably due to the need for improvement
In the Capital.
The Presidents reference in today's
message to the effect that the Attorney
General had made recommendations TO
committees of Congress as to the char
acter of the legislation needed to sup
plement the prohibition law for The
District is taken to mean specifically
the Attorney Generals report on the
bill of Senator Howell affecting en-
forcement of prohibition in the District.
Approved Evidence Fund.
The Attorney General at that time
he rrfIy ~
authority to enforce the prohibition
laws iust the same as prohibition
officers of the Federal Government and
also approved the creation of revolv-
ing fund for the District to be used in
obtaining evidence, but the Attorney
General report adversely upon that
section of the Howell bill regarding
search warrants.
In his desire to have the District the
model of city law enforcement for the
rest of the country, President Hoover
first wants a local prohibition enforce
ment law and the cooperation between
the local authorities and the Federal
authorities in the enforcement OF that
law.
Regarding the invalidity Of indict-
ments through the disqualification OF
grand Jurors, the President called
attention in his report to recent In
stances in the Supreme Court OF the
District where indictments returned,
after long and expensive hearings, have
been invalidated by the discovery OF
the presence on the grand jury OF an
ineligible Juror In mentioning this
In his message today the President de-
clared that the system now IN operation
in the District for preparing lists OF
<srta16nd for trruf eafVtfnC a.
uuires Improvement. He contends also
that it should be provided, not only
regarding the Supreme Court Of the
District, but to all United States district
courts, that If not less than IL eligible
grand Jurors vote for an indictment 1t
shall not be invalidated because Of the
presence Of ineligible jurors. The Presi-
dent stated also that legislation should
be enacted limiting the time for max
ing motions to quash indictments be-
cause of disqualiflcations Of grand
jurors.
Third Degree" Case Recalled.
Mr.. Hoover's singing out of the Su-
preme Court of the District for his rec
concentrations regarding the invalidity
Of indictments by reason Of disqualif1-
cation of grand jurors, was prompted
principally by the disqualification of a
juror during the "third-degree" cases
before the grand jury few months ago.
Because of the frequency of disquali-
fication of grand jurors in this city, the
President in his message today sug-
gested that the statutes in force in the
District respecting the qualifications of
grand and petit jurymen and their Sc
lection should be thoroughly examined
and overhauled. Grounds Of inelgi-
bility now exist, in his opinion, which
do not affect the availability or impair
TALLY Of jurymen.
In suggesting Improvement Of this
particular feature of the eligibility of
jurors, the President did not specify
any particular change In the qualifica-
tions. The principal difficulty met by
the local courts in the .matter of Sc
lecting eligible jurors has been that part
of the District statutes which makes
persons receiving any money or pay
from the Federal Government or Dis
trict Government ineligible for service.