Evening star., 1944-03-12
Virginia House Asks
Judges S Custer After
Norfolk Vice Probe
By the Associated Press.

Ds lHc ASSOCiateQ fTeSS.
RICHMOND, Mar. 11.-A report
bitterly attacking Judge A! B. Car.
ney of the Norfolk County Circuit
Court and other county law enforce
.ment officials for failing in the
Performance OF their duties" was
presented to the House of Delegate:
today by special committee ap-
pointed to investigate moral ano
law enforcement conditions in the
county.
In accepting the report, the House
adopted resolution urging the re-
moval of Judge Carney by retire
ment, or by impeachment, If neces-
sary.
There was no discussion of the
resolution which was offered by
Floor Leader G. Alvin Massenbure
after E. o. McCue, Charlottesville
chairman of the special investigat.
ing committee, had read to packed
house voluminous report of mora
and law enforcement conditions
which he termed "deplorable ane
inexcusable"
Judge Is Blamed.
The committee blamed conditions
1t charged existed in the county,
prostitution, gambling, improper
conduct in the jail and Illicit salt
of liquor-directly on the judge o.
the circuit court, the common.
wealth's attorney, the sheriff ane
his deputies and special police Off.
GERS of Norfolk County, with tht
exception of seven named in the
report.
The report read by Mr.. McCut
said from testimony before the com.
mittee "it will appear that he Judge
Carney has on two occasions since
the early months of 1943 suffered
two cerebral hemorrhages which
have given rise to obvious NANTES.
tations of disability.
The report was a scathing de-
nunciation of law enforcement a.
ineffective, inefficient and almost
completely lacking in a large part
Of Norfolk County" and it attributed
this and bad moral conditions tC
the corruptness or inactivity o.
certain of the law enforcement of.
ficials of this county and theil
willful failure to perform theil
duties"
The officials referred to here
the report said, ARE Judge A. B
al
his deputies, Frank Wilson and vii.
bur Fentress, all Of the special po.
lice officers of the county with thu
exception Of J. S. Leonard, O. L
Parkerson. J. A. Hodges, J. w
Peoples, w. F. Powell, S. T. Still
and Harry Gardiner
Deal Laid to Judge.
1t summarized what it termed the
"derelictionS' as follows:
Judge A. B. Carney:
Made a deal with Judge C. w
Coleman, his predecessor. for Judg,
Coleman to resign and support him
Carney, as his successor, whereof,
Carney agreed to pay Judge Coleman
500 per month for the rest of hi,
life, and after being appointed judg.
carried out this illegal agreement
and
Participated in deal whereby
Judge Coleman was able to get ;
loan from a bank. secured by col
lateral notes signed by various DO
lice officers, IN the sum of $1,000
10 compromise a pressing $1,000
obligation which some evidence
shows was a condition imposed BY
the late Judge Coleman before ht
would retire: and
Confirmed by his conduct a gen.
orally accepted belief in Norfolk
I County that one certain lawyer
namely: Thomas E. Gilman =
had such influence over him, The
Judge, that it made it necessary
to employ this lawyer If one de.
sired to be treated lightly wher
tried by Judge Carney - ="
Sheriff A A. Wendell:
Has wilfully neglected to per
form his duties by keeping on hi