Evening star., 1938-10-27
ROLE Of CITIZEN
IN COURTS CITED
Laws, PetWorth Association
Banquet Speaker, Says
y Problems Up to Public.

AliC WllOlC R1OblCAl Va Vic SOul 10 uAkA |
their more efficient operation was
thrust squarely upon the citizens the
court serves by Justice Bolitha j. Laws
of the United States District Court for
the District of Columbia last night as
he spoke at the annual banquet Of the
Petworth Citizens Association.
If you find yourself not receiving
justice in the courts, find yourself
inconvenienced by long delays, crowded
dockets, discourtesies on the part of
court attaches, it is your job as citi-
zen to take part in working to remedy
the situation" Justice Laws said. 1T is
citizens duty to take part in solving
the problems of the courts. in acting as
witnesses and serving as jurors
THE citizen is the dominant figure in
the court room" he continued. If a
litigant has an unhappy experience in
the court, it is just an incident for the
judge, but it may annihilate the citi-
zen. The litigant suffers from delays
in trial, from crowded dockets.
Witness and Juror Dominant.
THE citizen as a witness is vital,
for it is his testimony that controls
the tide of battle. Also the decision
of the Juror is often of more i'm
portance than that of the judge. Vis-
ion and lack of prejudice is required.
Courts are not dominated by the judge
and lawyers. but by the citizen"
He reported that there was IS
per cent reduction Of criminal cases
last year when citizens became aroused
at the crime problem and acted with
the newspapers, the Board of Trade,
the judges, police and other officials.
Doesn't this prove you can do
things?" he asked.
Charles I. Stengle, who installed the
new officers Immediately after Justice
Laws spoke, urged suffrage for the
District by saying: ..
When the justice spoke Of the
duties Of the citizens. something kept
coming up and slapping me in the
face. I have no complaint of Justice
Laws, but we are not truly citizens
There is another chapter to be written
before the book of the District of
Columbia is complete"
Mr.. Stengle placed residents of
Washington in the same boat with
inmates of Lorton, Occoquan and the
District Jail and said they do not have
their full privileges.
He then indicted the new officers,
who are: George w. Potter, presi-
dent; Harvey o. Craver first vice
president; Mrs. Edith L. Phelps, sec
ond vice president; Raymond E. Gable,
secretary; w. NJ Barret, financial
secretary; Benjamin N. Brown, treas
urer: Senes B. Passmore, sergeant at
arms; Horace J. Phelps and Mr..
Craver, delegates to the Federation
Of Citizens Associations.
Program Given.
The banquet. an annual feature of
the citizens association, was started
by an entrance parade, led by Mr..
and Mrs. Potter and Mr.. and Mrs.
Cooper, to music by the Vaughn Glass
Orchestra. directed by Chester c.
Hutchinson. DR.. w. T. McClosky,
Boy Scout commissioner for the Sd
Division, gave the salute to the nag;
Mrs. Harlan Randall. soprano. sang
The Star Spangled Banner" and the
Rev. John Trader gave the invocation.
The Rev. Frank Steelman closed the
program with the benediction.
Persons at the speakers table in
cluded Miss Bessie K. Lacey, princi-
pal Of the Petworth School; Earl
Cooper. retiring president. and James
G. Yaden, former president of the
Federation OF Citizens Associations.
MIR. Cooper, acting as toastmaster,
presented the guests Of the associa-
ton. including Allen Davis, former
principal of Roosevelt High School;
John T. Thomas, former president
of the association: Mrs Walter B.
Fry, president of the District of Co.
lumbia Parent-Teacher Association,
and Mrs. Walter J. Greenleaf, record
ing secretary of the same body; Mrs.
Wallace N. Streeter, president of the
Barnard School Parent-Teacher As
sociation; r. T. Haugh. president of
the Petworth School Parent-Teacher
Association; Miss Bernadette L. Dore,
principal Of the Barnard School; Mrs.
LeVerne Beales, first vice president
Of the Federation of Women's Clubs,
Mrs. Ruth Snodgrass. second vice pres
ident of the same body. and Mrs Oscar
Nelson of the Petworth Womans'
Club.