Evening star., 1939-06-04

counsels assistant, which is not
sworn to by the witnesses, no effort
is made to hold any of the parties
unless it be the desire of the COM
planning witness himself that a
complaint be filed When the wit
nesses are ordered to appear for
trial at future date, they are in
formed that in the event the prose-
cutting witness changes his mind
about proceeding, there will be no
trial. 1t is evident that every effort
Is given the parties to compose their
differences without the necessity Of
a trial, despite the fact that their
presence at court is the result of
an actual accident, resulting in seri-
Gus injury to an individual or dam
age to an automobile, or both. Ap-
parently no responsibility whatso-
ever rests upon the police and the
pro ecuting officer to see to it that
persons guilty of law violation are
forced to stand trial regardless of
the feelings of the injured party,
whose wishes may depend largely
upon whether or not settlement of
satisfactory financial nature has
resulted from the accident.
From the foregoing. it is obvious
that thousands of guilty persons, di-
rectly responsible for accidents
which have already happened, are
allowed to continue as menace
upon the streets of Washington. at
the Whlm of private individuals, who
are actually urged to compose their
differences. No encouragement at
all is given to the conscientious
citizen who wishes to prosecute an
offender. Such system. which
does not exist in any other juris-
dlction which has resolved to do
something about traffic accidents,
renders all other efforts to establish
sensible regulations and obtain ODE
dlence to them mere farce Wig
orouS prosecution of all offenders,
whether officers witnessed the vio-
lation or not, should be an infexible
rule in this jurisdiction.
Recommendations.
Therefore it is unanimously rec
commended:
l. That only scientifically trained
and equipped police officers be as
signed to investigate all reported
accidents, armed with authority to
arrest and swear out warrants
against all persons deemed to be
guilty of violation from the facts
unearthed by the investigators.
2. That the corporation counSels
Office be equipped with stenograph-
ers to report all proceedings at the
Police Court, with testimony of all
witnesses appearing in connection
with traffic accidents to be sworn to
and used to compel appearance be-
fore the court in the event of SUBJ
sequent trial.
3. That the representatives of the
corporation counsel at the Police
Court shal themselves assume the
responsibility of swearing out in
formations against defendants when
the testimony before them indicates
a party to be guilty of law viola
ton; and that such prosecutions
shall be made by the same attorney
who preSides at the original hear.
ing.
4. That every effort be made to
encourage the witnesses who ap-
pear IN such cases, and that no
continuances of such cases be per-
mitted unless notice in advance is
given to witnesses and parties to
the proceeding, thus permitting
them to avoid attending court un-
necessarily.
5. That copies of this report be
sent to the District Commissioners,
corporation counsel, superintendent
of police, Traffic Advisory Council.
Criminal Justice Commission and
proper congressional committees,
with a view toward obtaining i'm
mediate action upon the recon-
mendations contained herein.