Evening star., 1950-10-29
Keneiipp Urges
Jail Terms for
Drunk Drivers
Cunningham Asks
Heavier Penalties
As Policy Of Court

two District officials.
Both Traffic Director George E
Keneipp and Inspector William j
Cunningham, head of the police
traffic division, urged, however
that heavier punishment be i'm
posed "as matter of policy" by
the courts, rather than as a re-
suit of amended legislation.
Their comments came in the
wake of the fining of four persons
$75 each after they pleaded guilty
to driving while drunk. They
would have had to serve 80 days
in lieu of the fine. but all paid. A
fifth case was referred to the pro-
baton Office for pre-sentence in
vestigation.
/ The sentences were handed
down Friday by Municipal Court
Judge Ellen X. Raedy, who cur
rently is sitting in jury court. All
previously pleaded not guilty and
asked for jury trials, but changed
their pleas.
Same Punishment to All.
Mr.. Keneipp said, I'D like to
see Jail sentences imposed for all
those convicted of drunken driv-
ing. We should have punishments
which would really teach violators
a lesson, and serve as warning
to all other drivers"
Inspector Cunningham said Jail
terms might be a good idea, but
only if such sentences were
handed down to every one-not
just to those without "connec-
tons" But he said he thought
heavier fines levied in Municipal
Court would have almost the same
effect.
Those fined were:
Col. Joseph I. Greene, SO. U. S.
A. tretired), of 3601 Connecticut
avenue NV. editor of The Com
bat Forces Journal, formerly The
Infantry Journal. Pvt. William B.
Phares of the Accident Investiga-
ton Unit. who arrested Col.
Greene September % after his car
had collided with streetcar at
Connecticut avenue and Columbia
road NV, said Col. Greene had
struck at him and cursed him. -
Machinist Arrested.
James w. Redmond, jr., 40, a
machinist, of the 14oo block of
Longfellow street NV, who was
arrested October 7 after his car
had struck three parked cars and
truck in the 1900 block of Ran
dolph street NV.
William r. Murray, 26, of the
5000 block of Brothers place Sc,
Navy cook. who was arrested
October II after his car had been
in two collisions within half a
block. Pvt. George T. Eppard of
the traffic division reported Mr..
Murray was "raving and crying.
and said he wanted to be sent to
Korea because he was a sinner. ="
when the officer arrived on the
scene.
Louis johnson, Al, colored, of
the 2l00 block of Jasper street
Sc, who was arrested July 20 on
Eleventh street Sc.
Referred to the probation Office
was the case of Mrs. Gladys Giles,
i27. colored, of the 1900 block of
Sixth street NV, who was ar
rested August 8 after a cab she
was driving struck a car at Kenil-
worth avenue and Foote street
NE. Mrs. Giles had neither a
drivers permit nor hackers IL
cense, police said. After the acci-
dent, male companion took the
wheel and struck three more cars
before police caught up with them
Gets Police Statements.
Before the sentencing, Judge
Raedy was handed police state
ments of fact in each case by AS
sistant Corporation Counsel C
Belden White.
! 1t is common court practice
where defendants wish to pleac
guilty before their cases have beer
called, for judges to pass sentence
after reading the police statements
The arresting officers themselves
are seldom called to be present.
/ Mr.. Keneipp, after noting it was
most unusual" for so many
persons to plead guilty to drunken
enthusiastically hard type
of case in which to get convic-
tion-said the circumstances OF
the cases described to him
sounded bad" But he said he
could not comment further since
he did not know how many OF
the facts had been brought to
the judges attention before
sentences were passed.
| He said the sentences in Munich
pal Court for drunken driving usu-
ally range between fines of $5C
and 5000. In instances where a
person cannot pay, OF course, he
must serve Jail sentence.
| Fine Not As Effective.
"a fine in any mount is not as
effective as a Jail sentence" he
said. I'm some jurisdictions-suct
as Detroit-a policy has been in
stituted under which nearly al
drunken drivers are given some
Jail time. 1t has been very effec-
tive"
i Inspector Cunningham said the
public seldom realizes how much
a drunken driving conviction here
means financially.
In addition to the fine, the con.
victed driver loses his license fol
at least six months, and mus
take out liability insurance fol
the next three years. Usually, ht
said, a person arrested fol
!, drunken driving has been in al
accident, and must pay heavily
tn injured partieS