Evening star., 1951-10-14
Transit Radio
Tops D. {. Cases
In High Court
Tribunal Moy Give
Decision Tomorrow
On Reviewing Issue

Decision Tomorrow
On Reviewing Issue
The Supreme Court may an
nounce tomorrow whether it will
consider the problem Of radio
commercials on Capital Transit
vehicles.
That controversy and several
others especially interesting to the
District were not acted on last
Monday when the court granted
review of 81 appeals, denied 129
and disposed of II miscellaneous
matters.
To Hear Narcotics Case.
Besides issuing orders on addi-
tional petitions. the court this
week will hear arguments on a
narcotics search and seizure case
which went through District Court
and the Court of Appeals last
year.
The main question in that case
is whether Washington police,
without a warrant, legally un-
locked a hotel room. found and
seized cocaine, and later arrested
a man who was not the occupant
of the room.
Jesse w. Jeffers. colored, was
convicted Of dealing Illegally in
narcotics. He appealed on a claim
that the narcotics evidence used
against him at the trial was taken
from Dunbar Hotel room occu-
pied by his two aunts who did
not know it was there.
Newspaper Case on Docket.
Another case up for hearing
this week concerns a complaint
that the Lorain (Ohio) Journal
violated the antitrust laws by
refusing advertising space to COM
panies which used a radio station
in Lorain.
A Federal court in Cleveland
said this amounted to discrimina-
ton against advertisers and also
was an effort to drive a competing
radio station out of business. The
newspaper asked the Supreme
Court to reverse that decision on
the ground that it violated the
freedom of the press. It also
contended there had been an il
legal search and seizure.
This is almost a search and
seizure" week at the Supreme
Court because many of the cases
on the hearing docket touch on
that issue. A California case
raises the question, for instance,
whether police could legally use
a stomach pump to get evidence
of unlawful possession" of mar
cotics.
Captive Audiences Is Issue.
The controversy about radio
broadcastS on buses and street.
cars has attracted wide attention
because it could lead to one Of
the most important decisions of
the Supreme Court term that be-
gan two weeks ago. The question
affects at least a dozen other
major cities and might eventually
bring broader definition of the
rights of so-called captive audi
enceS."
The Court of Appeals ruled last
June that such broadcaSts on
Capital Transit vehicles violate
the constitutional rights of riders.
It set aside previous rulings by
the Public Utilities Commission
and the District Court.
While the appeals court deci-
sion dealt only with commercial
announcements, it indirectly af-
fects the future of music broad
casts on buses and streetcars.
The Supreme Court, in fact, has
been asked in supporting brief
to hold that absolute quiet must
prevail so far as radios are con-
cerned.
Other Cases Up For Review.
Even if the court takes no ac-
tlon tomorrow on that case, it
may make news by saying
whether it will review Sawyer VS.,
Dollar, United States VS.. Coplon
or Laws VS.. Carter.
The court already has agreed
to review Court of Appeals orders
that stock in the American Presi-
dent Lines be effectively turned
over by Government officials to the
Dollar shipping interests. It has
not yet announced whether it will
review the appeals court contempt
Judgment against Secretary of
Commerce Sawyer and several
other Government officials and
lawyers.
A prime question in the Judith
Coplon case is whether the former
Justice Department employe shall
have new trial on charges of
spying for Russia. The United
States Court of Appeals in New
York reversed her conviction but
declared "her guilt is plain" and
refused to dismiss the Indictment
Arrest without a warrant and FBI
Wlretapping were considerations.
The Laws VS.. Carter case is
based on a contention by District
Court judges headed by Judge Bo-
lltha j. Laws that they properly
refused to renew a bondsman' s
license for John w. Carter, colored.
The Court of Appeals held last
July that District Court could
not turn down such a renewal
application without a hearing.
District Court judges declare the
appeals court has no right to in
tervene in what the lower court
regards as administrative proce-
dureS.
Safety ToIks |
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