Evening star., 1939-06-14
tness-1ampering
Penalty Extension Is
Asked by D. {. Bar
Only Courts Are Now
Protected by Law,
House Group Told

The House Judiciary Committee
was asked today to consider extend
ing witness -tampering penalties Low
protecting the courts to all branches
Of the Federal Government.
The proposal, already Endorsed by
the American Bar Association and
approved last night by the District
Bar Association. would extend the
law penalizing attempts at influence
ing or intimidating witnesses to
cover the Federal departments, in
dependent Establishments, boards
commissions and other agencies OF
the United States as well as both
houses of Congress.
The proposal was drafted by Gull
ford Jameson, former commissioner
of the Court of Claims and for
eight years clerk of the House Ju-
dietary Committee.
Only Courts Protected.
Mr.. Jameson, who saw his pro-
posal indorsed by the District Bar
Association at its monthly meeting
last night at the Mayf1ower Hotel,
said today that only the courts
were protected by the law which
provides a penalty of $1,000 fine or
not more than one years imprison-
ment. The courts also are protect
ed by being able to hold in con-
tempt, he said, but added that
other branches of the Government,
such as the Federal Communica-
tions Commission and the National
Labor Relations Board, were not
protected by the fine or jail-sen-
tence penalty for witness tamper-
ing.
The District Bar Association, act
ing along similar lines, voted to pro-
hibit attorney members from max
ing gifts or loans to attaches or Of
flcials of the courts in the District.
This action, sponsored by the as
sociation's Ethics Committee, is the
outgrowth of investigation of the
Warning trial.
The association supported a re-
quest made by insured building and
loan associations in the District
through Walter Bastian, former bar
association president, to permit
building and loan associations as
trust fund investments.
Proposal Overridden.
Recommendation in committee
report on the proposal made by
Col. Walter C. Clephane that no
change be made in the rules of the
District Court for the District of
Columbia so as to permit such in
vestments was overridden by the
association when the question came
to a vote
The association, in supporting the
request, did not differentiate be-
tween insured and uninsured asso-
Citations. Col. Clephane's report had
shown that only 9 of the % asso-
Citations in the District are insured.
A resolution was adopted advocat-
ing patients suffering from durable
mental diseases at st. Elizabeth S
Hospital be treated without being
adjudged legally insane. 1t was Of
fered by Samuel w. McCart.
The meeting also favored building
a structure separate from the new
Municipal Center to house the Office
OF the recorder of deeds.
The association received for con-
sideration at its fall business sessions
a request from the junior bar Sec
ton that District Court justices sit
daily starting at $50 am. instead
of 10 am. so that the docket OF
civil cases, now 20 months behind
could be brought up to date. 1t also
adopted a resolution to appoint q
committee, none of whose members
is to be connected with law schools
to formulate uniform rules of ad-
mittance before the District Court
and the United States Court of Ap-
peals.