Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-10-18
PROPOSALS TO
MARYLAND TO
FIGHT CRIME

other States, the object of which is to
unite in the warfare against crime
were announced by Attorney General
Herbert R. O'Conor, upon his return
from Trenton, N. j., where he presided
over the Interstate Conference on
Crime, attended by representatives of
forty States of the Union.
The Conference, attended by Gov
ernor Herbert E. Lehman, of New
York and Governor Harold G. Hoff-
man, of New Jersey, reached its eli
max Saturday in a nationwide radio
broadcast from the State House in
Trenton at which twenty-one of the
Attorneys General of the country pub
licly gave approval to the aims of the
Conference. Mr.. O'Conor acted as
Chairman Of the proceedings, said to
be the first occasion in the history of
the United States when so many OF
the Attorneys General were assem-
bled together at a conference.
AS a result of the deliberations of
the two day meeting, the following
subjects were approved by delegates
including members of the Maryland
Commission:
1. A compact or uniform law pro-
viding that witnesses in criminal
cases will hereafter be required to re-
turn to State, when their testimony
is required, in any proceeding in which |
they are summoned as witnesses, def
mite provision is to be made for pro-
tecting persons before being required
to leave their home State as witnesses,
by having a Court consider the de-
mand of the State desiring the return
of the witnesses. Witnesses are given
immunity from civil and criminal pro-
cess when they return to the State in
sisting upon their appearance.
2. A compact in which two or
more States mutually agree to be
bound by definite rules and standards
in connection with the extradition OF
persons indicted for crime.
8. A compact whereby two or more
States mutually agree to handle joint
ly cases of persons on parole or pro-
baton where the persons leave one
State and go to the other. The re-
ceiving State, under the proposal, will
assume the duty of supervision and
visitation of PAROLES or probationers
and is to be governed by the highest
standards of supervision for the re-
establishment of said PAROLES or pro-
bationers. Under the proposals it is
provided that when the State granting
the parole or probation determines that
the person has violated the terms OF
parole, and undertakes to return the
prisoner, the decision shall be conclu-
sive and not renewable in the receiv-
ing State.
A. A uniform law to be adopted by
the States whereby persons in one
State who perform acts which take
effect in another State may be prose-
cuted in either of the jurisdictions;
and where two jurisdictions will be
given the right to handle any cases
where the offenses are committed so
near the boundary lines as to make
it uncertain in which State the Of
tense was actually perpetrated.
5. That State bureaus of criminal
Identification be established having
connections with the bureaus of other
States; that the States maintain units
of criminal intelligence for detailed,
permanent and up-to-date records of
characteristics, operations, photos, an
tecedents and other pertinent informa-
ton concerning criminals and their as
sociates. All of the above informa-
ton to be interchanged among the !
States.
In addition to the above proposed
compacts or uniform laws, the confer
ence also went on record as favorlng
the use of sound moving pictures in
the Identification of criminals, with
the suggestion that the policy be ap-
piled to all major criminals now in Gus
tody. Further, the conference en-
oorsed the policy of universal finger
printing throughout the United States.
Already Indiana and Illinois have
entered into a compact for the hand
ling of persons on parole and proba-
ton. The compact, in the preparation
of which Attorney General O'Conor
assisted, has received legislative ap-
proval as well as the signatures of the
Governors of both States. Attorney
General O'Conor was formally present
ed with the proposal that Maryland
enter into a similar compact with the
State of Indiana. The proposal was
presented to Maryland's Attorney
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