Evening star., 1947-11-25
Barrett Will Put
Fixing Issue
Heads
To Stop Supplying
Ticket Adjustment
Dutu to Reporters

VI dlllC llChcUS W IllC DlSGll lSG 44duS
Court Conference Committee.
In the meantime, he said, he is
going to stop the reports on such
adjustment of tickets which have
been supplied to newspaper report
ers each week. He said it had been
his intention to halt the issuance of
the weekly report yesterday, but it
was made public before he had an
opportunity to issue the order.
Mai. Barrett's first reaction to
questions about withholding reports
on the tickets was choleric.
"I think it's damned outrage
that captain should have to make
public his actions in handling those
tickets" he said.
Traces Order to Hazen.
Later he reasoned it this way:
The order under which the weekly
reports have been made public goes
back to the days when the late
Melvin c. Hazen was president Of
the Board of Commissioners.
Il don't know whether the present
Commissioners want to continue the
practice" he said. "If they tell me
they do, the Conference Commit
tee or any one else can have them"
Mai. Barrett said he does not be-
lieve the public is entitled to the
facts about the tickets.
Il may be wrong" he said. 81
want to be right. I'm willing to
be told"
Maj. Barrett said 1t was his un-
derstanding that the weekly reports
given neWSpapermen were given
with the understanding they were
not to be published.
Original Order Cited.
The Commissioners order on the
matter, dated october II, 1889, and
based on a recommendation of Cor
poration Counsel Elwood H. Seal,
read as follows:
THAT in the future, the names OF
all persons having traffic tickets
cancelled will be made matter OF
public record and such record will
be maintained in the police depart
ment. In addition to the name OF
the person to whom the ticket is
issued, the officers name issuing the
ticket and the name of the person
requesting cancellation OF the ticket
will be recorded, as well as the rea-
son for the adjustment being made. y
Ten days later, the city heads is
sued a memorandum to the police
superintendent.
where a traffic violation notice
has been issued" the Commissioners
wrote, 1.-The information required
above shall be given in all instances.
Consequently if traffic violation
notice is cancelled by issuing
warning the required information
must be given and made public in
accordance with the spirit and in
tent of the Commissioners order"
The report made public yesterday
listed 158 motorists who were let
off with warnings and not required
to post collateral or go to court.
In addition, there were 10 cancel
lations.
Varied Reasons for Cancellation.
In cases of persons entitled to
diplomatic immunity the charge on
the ticket Is Cancelled. There were
these cases and also cancellations
in yesterdays list because mo park
ing" signs had been posted after
the motorist had parked, and for
a variety of other reasons. Where
a charge is Cancelled, it does not
appear on the drivers record.
The weekly lists would not show
how a motorist might have been IA
vored in previous weeks.
Nathan M. Lubar, secretary OF
the Traffic Court Conference Com
mittee, which asked for and was
denied figures on fixing for the year
ended October 80, yesterday said
an instance had been reported OF a
man who had received 1877 traffic
violation tickets.
I'm about IS per cent of the
cases he was let off with warnings,
and in the rest of the cases he was
permitted to forfeit collateral" MIR.
Lubar said. According to the re-
port he never went to court.
"Such treatment gives preferen-
tial right to park on the streets in
violation of the law"
Committee Makes tions
The Traffic Court Conference
Committee is appointed by the
president of the District Bar Asso-
ciation-George E. Mcneil this year
and makes studies and recon-
mendations for the enforcement of
traffic regulations by police and
courts. 1t includes attorneys, those
having to do with traffic and traffic
law enforcement, school people and
others.
Annual tabulations of the figures
on traffic charges reduced to warn
ings or Cancelled are made up in the
Office of Inspector Miller. A reporter
asked Inspector Miller for these
figures and he said he could make
them public only on the order of
Mai. Barrett.
The request for the figures then
was made to Maj. Barrett, who re-
jected it.
The adjustment of traffic tickets
Is covered in general order No. 81,
issued by Maj. Barrett last October
%, consolidating several previous
orders, but said to cover approx
mately the same ground.
Text of Order.
The order reads:
"In cases of minor infractionS of
the traffic regulations where traffic
violation notices have been issued
commanding officers may, after
proper investigation and when the
facts justify, adjust the notice with
q warning not to repeat the offense
in instances where a person has
received a traffic violation l1otice
and alleges he did not commit the
violation charged, commanding Of
ficers may, when investigation re-
veals the person has not violated
the regulation, cancel the notice.
Commanding officers shall only
adjust traffic violation notices
which have been issued by members
of their command"
The order goes on to direct that
the term commanding officer" shall
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