Evening star., 1935-05-04
SCOTT APPROVED |
BY SENATE GROUP
Subcommittee Reports Fa-
v0rabIy on Lawyer as
Municipal Judge.

With a favorable report from the
subcommittee which held hearings
yesterday afternoon, the nomination
Of Almond w. Scott, colored lawyer,
to be a Judge Of the District Munich
pal Court will go before the Senate
Judiciary Committee for action, prob
ably Monday. Assuming the full COM
mittee will concur in the recon-
mendation Of the subcommittee,
SCOTS name then will go before the
Senate for confirmation.
Virtually all the testimony at the
hearing was in support Of the NOM
inee, who was selected week ago by
President Roosevelt to take the place
of Judge James A. Cobb, also celored.
Some letters and petitions in opposi-
ton to the appointment had been
turned over to the subcommittee fol-
lowing announcement Of the appoint
ment, but the opponents did not
press their opposition.
AS the hearing opened, Senator
King, Democrat, Of Utah, chairman,
asked: Are there any persons here
who want to testify against Mr..
Scott?" No one came forward, and
the Senator added, Apparently
none"
Then followed statements in sup
port of Scott from number of law
yers who were present and the read
ing of letters of recommendation from
more than a score Of others.
Letters in Opposition.
Near the close of the hearing Sen
ator King read excerpts from two in
dividual letters in opposition and q
petition from some of the members
of the bar, asking that the subcom-
mittee hold the hearings to determine
whether the nominee possessed the
qualifications and temperament for
the bench.
At this point a request was made
by a member of the audience that
filled the committee room that the
names on a petition in opposition to
the nomination be read. The sub
committee decided, instead, to have
the petition placed in the hearings.
Senator King began by reading
kilograms from several white lawyers
in Wilmington, N. c., Scott's home
town, urging his confirmation. The
chairman also read letter from
Bishop NJ H. Davis Of the African
M. E. Church in the District and sur
rounding States, addressed to Presi-
dent Roosevelt, approving the selec-
ton Of Scott.
Senator King said he had list Of
546 law cases in which Scott has ap-
peared as counsel, 800 of which have
been in Municipal Court. Scott told
the subcommittee this list was con-
fined to civic cases and did not in
clude thousands of criminal cases in
which he has taken part.
Representative Mitchell, Democrat,
of Illinois, only colored member of
the House, took an active part in
SCOTS qualifications to the
Senate group. Called on by Senator
King for a statement, Mitchell said:
Il have known Scott intimately for
20 years. I observed his practice here,
where I lived before going to Illinois.
He Is man of highest integrity, Of
record, good lawyer and
well educated. I think he possesses
all the qualifications the position calls
for"
Endorsements Offered.
Mitchell offered for the record two
petitions from local lawyers. indorsing
Scott, one signed by 48 white lawyers
and one by 80 colored attorneys.
George C. Gertman said his OBJ
servation Of Scott laad led him to in
dorse the nominee for the appoint
ment. Gertman Is secretary Of the
District Bar Association, but said he
was not speaking for the association
Others from whom letters of in
dorsement were read included former
District Attorney John E. Laskey, for
mer District Attorney Leo A. Rover,
United States Commissioner Need
ham G. Turnage and former Munic;-
pal Court Judge M. M. Doyle.
In response to questions by Chair.
man King, Scott said he has been o
lawyer SO years. He said he prac-
ticed six months in his home town
in North Carolina before coming to
Washington. He was educated at