Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-12-27
Urged
To Lei Counties
Keep RaidFunds
Legislative Council
Bill Would Clarity
Gaming Case Action
BY the Associofed Press

ANNAPOLIS, Dec. 27-The Leg.
islative Council has suggestion for
counties that want to know what
to do with money seized in a gam
bling raid:
Keep it.
The proposal is one of series Of
Crime and punihsment" bills to be
offered the General Assembly next
month.
If approved the measures would
apply retribution to such assorted
offenseS as driving down an unsus-
pecting swimmer with a motor boat
or getting drunk in q department
store.
What to do with a gambling take
gave Anne Arundel County authori-
ties a headache almost two years
ago.
Settled Out of Court.
Police arrested three men sus.
pected Of running numbers slips.
Among other items they seized about
$1,000 in cash. Chief John H. Souers
sailed it away for the county.
The men were convicted on
lottery charge and fined $1,000
apiece, Chief Souers recalls. But
they sued the chief and the county
commissioners for the confiscated
money. The result was an out-of-
court settlement.
ut was uncertain whether the
State could confiscate this money"
the Legislative Reference Depart
ment says in explaining the council
bill. This would permit courts to
forfeit captured cash" to the
county Cor Baltimore City, in which
1t was taken, six months after the
gamblers are convicted.
If any one Is arrested but found
not guilty he may apply for q re-
fund. Even if convicted, he may
ask for hearing.
Ask to Make Kidnapping q Felony.
Here are some of the other pro-
posed criminal laws on which the
Legislature will act:
/. Increase the maximum penalty
for assault with intent to murder
from 10 to IS years. States Attor-
ney Harry E. Clark of Talbot Coun-
ty recommended the sitter sentence
after a policeman was permanently
crippled" by person he tried to
arrest.
THE court expressed regret that
longer sentence was not possible"
says the reference department.
2. Make kidnapping a felony. A
kidnaper may be hanged now, and
the council explains such serious
offense carrying such an extreme
penalty should be classified as Q
felony rather than as misde-
meanor."
8. Provide for the crime Of
"manslaughter by motor boat The
bill would atds seagoing craft to the
law which already makes man
daughter by Sother vehicles a mis-
zmeanor. 1t would repeal a 1947
f4ct applying only to Deep Greek
Lake in Garrett County.
4. Allow courts to punish tippleB
who misbehave in stores and ONCE
buildings. drunkenness and dis
orderly conduct in these places
should be punishable equally with
such conduct in streets and public
places" the department says.
S. Permit the trial of any one
who commits an "indictable offense"
on intercity or interstate bus or
plane in any county or city on the
route. The law already covers trains
and steamboats,.
6. Require doctors, dentists and
others who treat patients for an
injury which may have been caused
by some sort of accident or vio-
lence" to report to the police. Mont
gomery, Talbot and Somerset Coun-
ties now have such law.
A companion measure would re-
quire the same kind of report from
garages and repair shops.
7. Specify that bastardy is a mis-
demeanor. This would permit the
extradition of men who flee the
State after a court orders them to
support illegitimate children. Sew
eral times Virginia has refused ex-
tradition because Maryland law
does not call the offense a crime"