Evening star., 1948-10-01
Commissioners
0verhau|PoIice
Trial System
Two Boards to Hear
Charges, Third Will
Act on Complaints

A complete overhaul of procedure
for trying District policemen for in
fractions Of discipline was approved
today by the Commissioners, effect
i've November 10.
1t establishes two separate trial
boards and a complaint review
board to replace the present single
three-member police trial board in
a move to answer criticism by Dis
trict lawyers, police and the general
public.
The new procedure. constituting
a complete new chapter in police
regulations, calls for:
A board consisting of three police
officers of the rank of captain or
higher to hear all police discipline
cases where the complainant is q
member of the Police Department.
Complaint Review Board.
A special police trial board con-
sisting of two policemen with a
minimum rank of captain and a
member of the District bar to try
all discipline cases where the COM
plainants are civilians.
A complaint review board COM
posed of three lay residents of the
District to review sworn complaints
against police by civilians when re-
quested to do so by the police super
intendent.
The changes adopted by the city
heads are substantially those pro.
posed May % by Police Chief Robert
j. Barrett.
Similar revisions for trial proce-
dure of firemen are under study at
the District Building and may be
completed next week.
= For the rest of this fiscal year
civilians taking part in the new
procedure will be asked to donate
their services. it was said, since no
city funds are available. Money
will be sought in the city budget
for the year beginning next July 1
to pay them at daily rate.
Double Role for Lawyers.
The present trial board consists
of two policemen and an assistant
corporation counsel Since the
cases also are prosecuted by rep-
resentative of the corporation coun-
sci, the complaint has been fire.
quently made that District lawyers
both try and judge defendants.
Corporation Counsel Vernon E.
West had previously agreed to the
desirability of removing the assist
ant corporation counsel from the
board.
In the case of the new special
police trial board, the lawyer mem
ber will be selected from two panels
of 10 members already named by
the District Bar Association and the
Washington Bar Association.
The rules provide that when .
policeman is to be tried on a civilian
complaint, the police superintendent
will notify the chairman of the two
panels. Each chairman will send
into the police department two
names to be put in a hat and
drawn in order.
DlStr1ct employees barred.
The first name drawn will be the
attorney member of the special
board. If his participation should
be challenged successfully or If he
should otherwise be unable to serve.
the other members would be eligible
in the order in which they we're
drawn.
No attorney employed by the Dis
trict may be appointed.
District officials said the new COM
plant review board would be used
at the discretion of the police chief.
They said 1t would probably func-
ton rarely.
In cases where he was convinced
the policeman should be charged, it
was explained, the police chief prob
ably would order them presented to
the proper trial board. In cases
where he is in doubt, it was said,
the review board could be called
into action.