Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-07-31
Full D. {. Bar 10 Pass
On Plea for Immediate
Hearings After Arrest

Hearings After Arrest
A District Bar Association Com
mittee recommendation that ar
rested persons should get an i'm
mediate preliminary hearing at any
hour Of the day or night will 60
to the full membership of the ASSOC
citation, Lowry N. Coe, association
president, said today.
Mr.. Coe explained that in cases
where q committee brings forth mi.
nority as well as majority reports.
the recommendations must be pre-
sented at membership meetings.
The Civil Rights Committee, which
made the proposal for a Municipal
Court Judge or United States Com
missioner to be available night and
day, seven days week, split, 2 to 3,
on its report. The majority and
minority reports were published yes
terday in the August issue of the as
sociation's journal.
The majority proposed an amend
ment to the District Code Ito elm
mate certain of the abuses involved
in the practice of the local police
Of holding arrested persons for in
vestigation' for indefinite periods OF
time without the placing of any for.
NAL charge against them"
Would Appear Forthwith.
This amendment would require q
policeman to take an arrested per-
son forthwith" before judge or
commissioner to whom the police.
man would give his reasons for SUI
specting his prisoner of q crime.
The judge must permit the police
man to give his statement out OF
hearing of the prisoner under this
proposal, but the suspect would have
to be told the crime for which he
was being held.
The judge could issue a warrant
charging the prisoner or order his
immediate release or continue the
case for "a hours. during which the
prisoner would be confined without
charge in a place other than po-
lice station.
The prisoner, under this proposal.
could not be held for more than "a
hours without being charged and
would be given an opportunity to
consult with his counsel or friends
and relatives.
Minority Reports.
One of the minority reports, sub
mitted by Claude A. Thompson.
commended that delay in taking
prisoner before q committing mag
istrate "often is to protect the inno-
cent" He warned that the ma
jority proposal would Invite more
criminals to this city"
Another minority member, Hilary
w. Costello, described the proposal
as clearly arbitrary, capricious and
impracticable" He pointed out that
the code now requires police to
bring prisoners before committing
magistrate without unnecessary
delay"
Mr.. Costello charged that the
proposed amendment would have
the effect of temporarily suspending
the privilege of the writ of habeas
corpus, and would deprive persons
of their liberty without due process
of law.
Would Conflict With Rules.
John Wattawa. chairman OF the
full commute, said he voted against
the proposed amendment because 1t
would be in direct conflict with the
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Mr.. Wattawa contended that no
emergency existed to justify such an
abrupt change in long-standing po-
lice methods.
Accordingly" he said. "the oc-
casion seemed inappropriate for such
proposal, which because of its &C
companying criticisms Of police
could lend encouragement
to the lawless elements and thereby
still further INCREASE the currnt heavy
burdens of the police and tte
heinous crime in our midst"
The committee also made ~ &C
the final reports Of its cubcl.
lees on infringement of civil ri" IS
by police, race relations and loyalty
Investigations for Government en-
ployes.
1t unanimously adopted a report
declaring that the present proce-
dure of giving physical examina.
lions to women prisoners "is in-
adequate to protect the civil rights
of such prisoner" and urged re-
medal action.
Added Loyalty Study Urged.
On the loyalty Investigations, the
subcommittee made no specific rec
concentrations but commented that
the real dangers" inherent in the
LOYALTY program are the possibility
of establishing a policy of guilt by
imputation or beliefs or guilt by
association and the failure to az
ford the suspected employe .
chance to cross examine witnesses.
The subcommittee, whose report
was unanimously approved by the
full committee, urged additional
study of the question.
In another action, the committee
voted 8 to 4 that removing the pres
ent restrictions of membership to
white persons was not question
for the Civil Rights Committee to