Evening star., 1940-06-21
More Oppose
Approval Of
Judge Bentley
Assistant D. 6.
Counsel Defends
Her Record, However

AOunSeI OeTen0S
| Her Record, However
Half a dozen additional witnesses
paraded today before the McCarran
Subcommittee of the Senate Ju.
dietary Committee to recite griev.
ances against Judge Fay Bentley Of
Juvenile Court. They were opposing
her confirmation for new term of
Office.
There were specific complaints Of
the manner in which she has con-
Quoted her court and of her atti-
tude. Some of the more severe
criticism came from Thurman l..
Dodson, colored attorney, a former
president of the Washington Bar
Association, who declared Judge
Bentley was "temperamentally un-
fit, vindictive, impetuous and gen.
orally discourteous to lawyers acting
in her court"
He agreed with another witness,
Richard r. Atkinson, colored at
torney, that Judge Bentley had dis
played an attitude of objection to
having jury trials and that when
jury trials were insisted on it was
generally" the case that the client
was penalized.
View Is Disputed.
This view about jury trials, how
ever, was disputed by Michael
Keane, assistant corporation counsel,
assigned to Juvenile Court cases,
who declared Judge Bentley "wel-
coined" jury trials. Mr.. Atkinson
had protested that usually when
jury trials were demanded the court
insisted on the posting of bonds,
whereas this was not required OF
cases tried by the judge.
Mr.. Keane, however, brought out
that in most cases trial is i'm.
mediately had where juries are not
trying the case. To this. Mr. Atkin-
son retorted that there frequently
were cases in which continuances
were granted.
Mr.. Dodson told the committee,
Lawyers feel that they are not want
ed in Judge Bentley's court. and on
many occasions Judge Bentley has
embarrassed lawyers in the pres
ence of their clients"
He declared that in one case. in
which he had demanded a jury trial
for his client, Judge Bentley had
said to him: She will make
splendid impression on the jury,
won't she?"
Other Witnesses Heard.
Among other witnesses who voiced
complaints against Judge Bentley
during the third day of the public
hearings on her denomination were
Mrs. Anna r. Chambers of the 6400
block of Western avenue. Chevy
Chase. Md; Miss Blanche c. How.
lett of 2801 Adams Mill road NV,
Mrs. William Taylor and Mrs. Fred
erick Deininger.
Mrs. Chambers protested that her
boy had been charged with failing
to yield the right of way. but that
she found when the trial was
started that he was being tried on
speeding charge Mr.. Keane in
terjected that in that case he had
changed the charge. that the court
had nothing to do with it; and
added: This is not an uncommon
practice, since police officers some
times do not know as we'll as lawyers
what the charge should be-
McCarran Presses Point.
Chairman McCarran declared at
this point: But if you charged a
man with robbery, you would not try
him in court on murder charge.
would you? I am impressed with
this phase of this case. The court
should have known about the charge
in the charges I do not take much
to this changing of charges"
AS the hearing opened. Senator
McCarran announced that he had
been approached by number of
persons who wished to give him
statements confdentially. He said
he would listen to them, but that
things told him in confidence would
be kept in confidence and would be
of no value to the Judiciary Com
mittee or the Senate for that rea-
SON He advised all such persons to
. state their facts for the record.
Senator McCarran added that he
had been told that some witnesses
) feared reprisals" If they gave ad-
verse testimony. and that they
, should forget such fears because
, "the Senate is not ham strung in
taking care of any reprisals." He
added he thought the fears might
be mere matter of imagination"
Vandalism Described.
Mrs. Hewlett told of her property
being damaged by young vandals.
She said Juvenile Court had refused
to give her the names of the boys
charged with the offense. Mr..
Keane explained that the law for-
bids the court to give out such in
formation. Senator McCarran add
ed, however, that some other agency
of the District should have been
able to prosecute.
Mrs. Taylor protested that her son
had not been given chance to
testify in his own defense when tried
and convicted in 1885 by Judge Bent
ley on joy-riding charge. She said
she obtained his release after OBJ
tanning dispositions from other boys
to show he did not know the car in
which he went riding was stolen
machine.
Chairman McCarran directed dur
ing this discussion that Harry Moore,
said to have been a probation officer
of the court at the time, be sum-
moned to appear before the com.
mittee.
The committee will meet again at