Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-09
CONVICTION DATA
CITED TO DEFEND
.GARNETT'S RECORD
Public Welfare Board Hears
Results Exceed Previ.
GUS Years.
VICTORY IN 81 GAMING
CASES is POINTED OUT
Fihelly Presents Outline of Ac-
complishments of U. S. Attor.
ney, Now Under Fire.

A vigorous defense of the regime of
United States Attorney Leslie c. Gar
nett, now under congressional fire,
today was presented in a statistical
report of work done during the past
fiscal year.
Addressing the Board of Public Wei
fare at its quarterly meeting this
morning at the District Workhouse,
Occoquan. Va, Assistant United States
Attorney John w. Fihelly revealed
figures contained in the official Dis
trict Supreme Court report for the
fiscal year just ended. Cases closed
during the fiscal year 1885 exceeded
the average for the past five years by
PA. In addition, FINELY stated. 298
more indictments were returned than
the average for the f1ve-year period.
Sixty prosecutions against alleged
gamblers were begun during the IL
months, while in the entire five years
preceding the District grand jury re-
turned only 40 indictments. Taking
into consideration gambling cases
pending at the beginning of the fiscal
year, a docket of SO prosecutions faced
the district attorneys staff. OF these
cases, 81 we're terminated either by
pleas of guilty or convictions. This
is greater than the combined five
years preceding.
Points to Speed.
Indictments during the year totaled
1877 and there we're 1909 cases ter
minated.
Not only were more cases handled
under Garnett's regime last year, but
a larger proportion of convictions or
pleas of guilty were obtained, the fig
ures disclosed. OF all cases terminated
during 1885, 76,l per cent resulted
favorably to the Government. while
the average for the last five years
was TAT per cent.
Jury trials. source Of most Of the
delay in criminal procedure, exceeded
the five-year average by 101. There
we're 357 last year, as compared with
256 over the previous five years.
Two hundred and sixty-six verdicts
of guilty we're obtained in these 357
cases
Rejecting efficiency of case prepara-
ton, Fihelly said. 883 pleas OF guilty
were received during the year.
A good proportion of the small
number of cases still pending at the
close of the fiscal year are not try
able either because the defendants
are fugitives, were of unSound mind
or because motions of various kinds
were pending, Fihelly stated.
The highest percentage of convic-
tons in jury trials during the past
six years was established in 1884, the
first year of the Garrett administra-
ton, with 1852 per cent.
All figures which Fihelly quoted re-
lated to felonies.
The program presented to the Board
of Public Welfare and its depart
mental executives this morning was
aimed to show the progress Of justice
from the apprehension Of a law
breaker to his return to the commu-
nifty after serving prison term.
Burke Asks Changes
Inspector Frank S. W. Burke, chief
of detectives, gave the law enforce
ment angle.
He re-emphasized his contention
that control of precinct detectives
should be returned to headquarters in
the interest of more efficient crime
detection. Responsibility for appre-
hending offenders should be central
lied in one organization, rather than
distributed among captains of the II
police precincts as at present, Burke
asserted.
Other speakers were Judge NJ. NJ,
Doyle, vice chairman of the board,
who discussed The Role of the Court
in Administration of Justice; DR.. F,
L. Bixby, assistant director of the Bu-
reau of Prisons, who spoke on The
Correctional Institution and the In
mate" and Ray Huff, Department of
Justice parole executive, whose subject
was THE Return to the Community"
An amusing discussion developed
when DR.. Bixby croSs-examined In
spector Burke concerning the merits
of the much publicized lie-detector
demonstrated some time ago at North
western University. Burke said he did
not think it ever would be used here
as he considered it unreliable.
Bixby expressed surprise and asked
the basis of his opinion.
well, maybe I'm better liar than
most. but it didn't work on me-"