Evening star., 1936-09-11
UNDER
NEGLIGENT DEATH
LAW FOUND FEW
Survey Reveals Less Than
Fifth of Cases Resulted
in Fines.
OFFICIALS, HOWEVER,
SEE JUSTICE STRONGER
Only One Convicted, Three Plead
Guilty in 20 Cited to Police
Court Since June, 1885.

Less than one-f1fth of the cases
brought against automobile drivers
under the recent negligent homicide
act have resulted in fines or sentences
and less than one-half of the cases
never reached the Police Court,
survey today disclosed.
Nevertheless, officials believe the
law, enacted at the last session Of
Congress, has facilitated administra-
ton of justice. They excuse the small
percentage Of convictions by point
ing out that coroners' juries frequent-
ly fail to weigh evidence as carefully
as the juries in the courts.
Of a total of % persons cited to
Police Court since June II, 1885, when
the law became effective, only one has
been convicted, but three have pleaded
guilty. OF this quartet, two went to
Jail for 80 days in default of $5OU
fine, one was given a suspended sen.
tence of 180 days and one was placed
on probation for year.
Five Found Not Guilty.
Five were tried by court or jury
and found not guilty, while the court
dismissed the charge against another
defendant.
Charges against three persons were
nolle pressed by the assistant United
States attorneys Office at Police Court,
and the prosecutor declined to file
charges against two others, after his
investigation of the cases and in.
terrogation of witnesses.
OF the three cases nolle pressed, one
was that of a man whose companion
pleaded guilty and was sentenced.
Four cas0 are pending in court.
One of thR IS held up by reason OF
the fact the defendant has been in
dicted for the more serious offense
of manslaughter.
For some reason not easily ex.
planned in the absence on vacation
of Assistant United States Attorney
David A. Hart, who is in charge Of
negligent homicide prosecutions. no
record can be found at Police Court
in three cases which the coroner'S
records show were certified for court
action. 1t is possible the papers are
temporarily 'out" or have been misflled
or mislaid or that the charges were
thrown out Immediately on receipt
and not recorded. Until the return Of
Mr. Hart, it was said, the mystery
of these missing cases must remain
unsolved.
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
said 108 inquests have been held since
passage Of the negligent homicide
act OF the twoscore persons held
by coroner's juries, 18 were sent to
the grand jury on manslaughter
charges.
Only Two Women Held.
OF the % held for Police Court l
was under II. another between II
and 81 and 19 we're over 81 years
old. Only women were held.
There has been but one jury trial.
All the other cases which reached
the court for trial were handled by
the Judge. The jury trial resulted
in acquittal of a bus driver charged
with killing a colored man at Con-
stitution avenue and Fourteenth
street.
Sergt. William ]. Liverman, de-
tective assigned from the homicide
squad to investigate automobile
deaths, believe that the negligent
homicide law is proving effective. He
asserts, however, that cases often
drag along" in the courts until wit.
nesses are unavailable or compliments
refuse to prosecute.
Karl Kindleberger, assistant United
Ctates attorney, in charge Of Police
Court, declares that cases are rushed
to trial as fast as the jury court can
absorb them.