Evening star., 1946-12-28
Power Sought
To Try Juveniles
In District Court

IVPOSSo 1S9sS'ot'O"
Prompted by Recent
Staying Of Policeman
Legislation to give the District
Court power to try youthful Of
tenders for serious crimes will be
presented to the new session OF
Congress.
The proposed measure yesterday
won the unanimous Endorsement Of
the special committee named last
spring by the House District Com
mittee to draft penal legislation for
the District.
If the plan were to become law,
the Juvenile Court would be given
authority to waive jurisdiction in
the case of any child charged with
an offense which could be punish
able by death or life Imprisonment
If committed by an adult. The
Juvenile Court also would be per-
mitted to turn over to the District
Court the case of any child l6 or
over accused of what amounts to
felony.
Prompted by Staying.
The proposed legislation is the re-
suit of the shooting and killing OF
Policeman Richard H. Taylor by IA
year-old Townsend Annes on the
night of December 13 in the 900
block of Seventeenth street NV.
Young Annes was escaping from an
other policeman who caught him
tampering with automobiles on q
nearby parking lot. Of6cer Taylor
was walking his beat on Seventeenth
street when young Annes saw him
and shot him. The policeman died
within few hours.
Young Annes is now undergoing
a mental test at Gallinger Hospital.
and if he is found sane he can be
tried only by the juvenile court. The
heaviest penalty which can be given
him is that he be confined in a cor
rectional institution until he is 81.
Another bill which was unani-
mously agreed on by the committee
would amend the District Code re-
garding the carrying Of concealed
weapons. The amendment would
legalize arrests for probable cause on
information received, as in the case
of felopies. Under the present law,
lif a person told policeman an
other person was carrying a con-
cealed weapon, the officer could not
legally search him. The effect OF
the amendment would make valid
searches and seizures incident to
such arrest.
Felony Proposal Dropped.
In a memorandum advocating the
change. the committee said:
by its peculiar nature OF con-
cealment, this offense is not ordi-
narily observable by an officer. More
often he learns of it from civilian
informant. His inability to act on
information thus received has re-
suited in a serious curtallment OF
effective prosecutions for violations
| of this statute. Prevention OF crime
is thus seriously impaired.
I'm considering remedies, the al
tentative of increasing the punish
ment so as to make the offense a
felony was considered, but it is be-
lieved to be unnecessary and unde-
sirable. The possible punishment
under present legislation is sufficient
and will be an adequate deterrent II
the present obstacle to successful
prosecution is eliminated"
Parole Changes Undecided.
The committee spent most Of its
time yesterday trying to agree on a
change in the parole system IN the
| District. When the members were
unable to reach an agreement, it
was decided to hold another meet
ing at 10 am. Tuesday, at which
time the committee will hear Col.
Campbell c. johnson, Frank r.
Jelleff of the Parole Board and VIII
bur La Roe, jr., who recently re-
signed from the board. Leo A Rover,
former United States Attorney here,
also will be asked to attend. Rep
resentative Hebert, Democrat, OF
Louisiana, chairman of the commit
tee, said he expects the parole Dill
and several other bills to be ready
for Congress on January 3.
The committee already has agreed
on legislation which would estab-
lish an alcoholic clinic here; bill
to raise the limit on petty larceny
from $50 to 5000; new Parole
Board with full-time paid director
and two part-time assistants.
The members of the committee, in
addition to Representative Hebert,
are Chief Justice Bolitha j. Laws,
of the District Court; Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West, Edgar
Morris, chairman of the Board of
Public Welfare, and James v. Ben
nett, director of the Federal Bu-
reau of Prisons. Donald Clemmer,
director of the District Bureau of
Corrections and Ray L. Huff, direc-
tor of the Welfare Department, sat
| r,,;ft, ho