Evening star., 1937-05-06
Third Judge to Sit in Effort
to Relieve CroWding of
Jail During Recess.
PROCEDURE HAS BEEN
FOLLOWED IN PAST
Garnett Comedies More Prisoners
Than Usual, but Cites Sew.
eral Long Trials.
BACKGROUND

Selected as an impartial fact
tnd1ng body to study crime condi-
tions, Washington Criminal Justice
Association Dorked for months nth
cooperation of officials in studying
criminal statistics for Capital. Its
first report, released Tuesday, uas
generally untaUordble and said
punishment is meted out In but 1
OF 10 major crimes committed here.
District Commissioner Hdzen said
he doubted accuracy OF some con-
clusioas in report.
A third criminal court will be set
up in District Court on May 10 to
clear up, if possible, all cases in which
prisoners are In District Jail awaiting
trial, it was disclosed today.
This is procedure that has been
followed in the past to avoid con-
gestion in the District Jail during the
Summer recess of court The opening
of the third court originally was set
for May II, but was moved up to the
10th today.
Conceding that there are more pris-
oners in Jail awaiting trial at this
time than usual, United States Attor-
ney Leslie c. Garnett pointed out that
the routine business of the criminal
courts has been tied up by the trial Of
several unusually long cases.
Situation Not Unusual.
1T is not unusual for us to run a
little behind in our trials as the end
OF the court term approaches. Gar
nett said. The same condition eX.
listed last year, but with the aid of a
third criminal judge We were able to
catch up so that there were only SIX
or eight prisoners still in jail await.
ing trial when the term ended. BY
the end of this term our docket will
be In just about the same condition.
Justice Jesse G. Adkins will sit as
a criminal judge beginning May 10
and We will be able to hold a number
OF trials that have been necessarily
delayed by the fact that there has
been no court availab bic to hear the
cases"
"A survey Of prisoners at the Jail
following the report of the Washing
ton Criminal Justice Association
stressing the Importance of speedy
trials, revealed that on Saturday there
were lO6 prisoners awaiting grand
jury action and $50 who have been
indicted and are awaiting trial, SEN
tence, adjudication of appeals, etc.
John Conlif, chief clerk in Garnett's
office said their records show that as
OF April 26 there were 96 persons IN
Jail awaiting indictment, 81 who had
been arraigned and awaiting trial, 25
awaiting arraignment. 20 awaiting
sentence and 4 awaiting disposition Of
appeals
Will Reduce Prisoners.
The usual Friday arraignments
and sentences tomorrow will mate.
rally reduce the number of prisoners
at the Jail, it was pointed out. During
the day, 86 defendants, only IL of
whom are on bond, will be arraigned
and "a defendants, all of whom are in
the Jail, will be sentenced Forty
six defendants, some of whom are
among those at the Jail awaiting
grand jury action, were indicted YES
terday.
Jail records disclosed that two
prisoners have been held there with
out trial since June. 1886. Investiga-
ton disclosed, however. that these
prisoners filed various motions which
delayed their trial, including one to
suppress the evidence against them.
Arguments on this motion were heard
recently and the motion was granted
by the court yesterday AS a result,
Garnett said, the case probably will
have to be nolle pressed for want of
evidence.
Grand jury procedure, it was said,
also has been delayed somewhat by
presentation Of important gambling
cases as result of the recent series of
raids. The number of indictments
per month, however, ranges from 125
to $50 month, indicating the cases
OF the l06 prisoners in the Jail await
ing grand jury action probably will be
disposed of in few weeks.
Among the long cases that have tied
(See CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Page A-4.)