Evening star., 1941-02-23
Inquiries Urged
OF Police Court
Job Applicants
Clerk Asks Probe of
Prospective Employees
By Outside Agency

Thorough investigation OF all
prospective Police Court employees
in the future is recommended by
Walter F. Bramhall, clerk of the
court, In his annual report for the
calendar year 1910, made public late
yesterday.
Explaining the recommendation.
Mr. Bramhall said he had in mind
Investigations such as are made of
other prospective Government en-
ployes.
Appointments are being made now
by the court judges upon recon-
mendation of citizens-Sometimes
Congress members. without off,
cial Investigations. Often, Mr.
Bramhall suggested. the citizen may
know but little of the private life"
of the man whom he has recon-
mended.
Here in the courthouse we should
use unusual care" Mr.. Bramhan
said.
IVUC outShuC otkNus
In the report he recommended to
the Board of Judges that all pro-
spective court employees be investi-
gated thoroughly by some outside
agency, such as the Department of
Justice or the Civil Service Com
mission, if possible, and in the in
terest of efficiency the applicants for
all positions requiring certain
amount of skill, such as typists,
stenographers and cashiers, be given
examinations equivalent to those of
Government departments or the
Civil Service Commission.
Mr.. Bramhall also pointed out
that he has recommended to the
District Commissioners that an
additional bonded employe be
named to work in the courts finance
Office, pointing to the volume of
funds handled in it. He pointed out
that there are only two employees
in the finance Office and said:
During vacation periods or i'll
ness of one of the employees in the
finance Office, he must be replaced
by an unbonded and sometimes in
experienced employe. 1t does not
seem fair to the unbonded employe,
nor wise on the part of the officials
responsible to allow this condition
to continue"
Acts on $500 Cases.
A total of $1,000 cases was dis
posed of in Police Court during the
calendar year 1910, Mr.. BramhallS
report revealed.
The net receipts from fines. for
FIXTURES, etc, amounted to S578,-
040.10, the largest amount collected
by the court during any single year
of its history. The amount repre-
sented an increase of S73,802.7 .78 over
net receipts of 1899.
Figures show that the court fell
behind in jury cases. There were
339 jury cases pending trial on jan
uary l, 1910. and a total of 476
pending trial on January of this
year. Recent statistics compiled by
Mr.. Bramhall showed last Thurs
day 637 jury cases pending, includ-
ing new demands this year Statis-
tics bear out how the jury branch
of the court has been unable to
handle all the cases assigned to it.
The total number of jury cases
actually disposed of during the year
was 1648 but only 241 of them were
tried by jury. Of those tried there
were 135 verdicts of guilty and 78
of not guilty. Also, there were Is
directed verdicts of not guilty. 10
cases in which the jury disagreed
and two which were declared mis-
trials.
There were TOP pleas of guilty,
doing away with the necessity of
trial by jury; 545 cases nolle pross-
ed; 110 dismissed for want of pros
ecution and 90 cases in which de-
mands for jury trial were with
drawn and the cases tried by judges
instead.
1,464 Cases Continued.
OF the grand total of 3.112 cases
posted for assignment during the
year, including the totals of cases
listed each day for jury court, 1854
of these were continued for reasSign-
ments. Security was forfeited in
six cases where the defendants could
not be located.
There is regularly one judge as
signed to jury court Sometimes an
additional judge sits in jury court
to help try jury cases, in addition
to his regular work. There is no
set rule, however, for more than
ane of the four Police Court judges
to sit in jury cases at one time, Mr..
Bramhall pointed out.
A breakdown shows a total of
20.388 cases handled in District
branch; 30,226 in traffic branch;
(See POLICE, Page B-2D