Evening star., 1952-07-16
Prosecutions S
Case Against
Wolf Criticized
Trial Boord Members
Hit Lack of Evidence
In Clearing Officer

W. SsSOtsu SittSSi
The special Civilian Trial Board
that acquitted 1t. Jacob Wolf of
gray market automobile transac-
tions today was outspokenly crit
ical of the sparse evidence on
which the prosecution based its
case.
AS the board analyzed the
charges, the first two related to
1t. VOLTS failure to get license
as a dealer in used cars from
1869. On these charges, the
board said the evidence submitted
was insufficient to prove that 1t.
Wolf was required to get such a
license. (See story on Page AID
The other two charges. as the
board analyzed them, related to
auto transactions allegedly detri-
mental to the public interest dur
ing a time of national emergency.
Here. too, the board ruled the
evidence insufficient.
Profit Element Cited.
"In no single instance" said the
board, was evidence submitted
which would prove complete
transaction by showing the ac-
cused officer had purchased an
automobile for a given amount of
money and thereafter sold it
realizing a profit for himself"
The board said it considered
these elements of proof necessary
to establish the guilt of the
accused.
On the question of profit, 1t.
Wolf admitted in his appearance
before the Senate District Crime
Investigating Committee that he
had made a profit on some of his
car sales. The board, however.
refused to allow 1t. VOLTS testi-
mony before the crime committee
to be introduced as evidence in the
trial board action.
The board made these other
comments about the 19-car trans
actions which figured in the
allegations.
In some instances in connec.
tion with the 10 transactions, no
evidence was submitted to indi-
cate that the accused officer di-
rectly participated in any manner
in the transactions: in other in;
stances, the evidence submitted
showed that persons other than
the accused officer engaged in the
transactions and although there
was a similarity of names.
nothing more than an intimation
of relationship to the accused of
f1cer was suggested by the evil
dence.
Records. Missing.
"In other instances, there was
evidence of sales of automobiles
with no evidence of purchase of
the same automobile. In one
particular instance there was evi.
dence of the purchase of an auto
mobile by one other than the
accused officer but bearing the sur.
name Wolfe. In this instance.
all records pertaining to this
transaction are missing from the
Government files without an ex-
planatlon to account for their loss.
Another essential element in
our opinion, to be proven in order
to warrant a recommendation Of
disciplinary action is that the ac-'
cused officer while a detective
sergeant in the Metropolitan Po-
lice Department made a profit in
the transactions mentioned herein
but with respect to charges and
IA, the evidence submitted failed
to support this essential element"
The board said it had to de-
termine whether failing to get a
license under the circumstances
was conduct unbecoming an Of
f1cer. On this score the board
said there was no adequate evil
dence which would warrant a
Recommendation of disciplinary
action.
Recommendations Listed.
The board made these recon-
mendations:
l. We recommend that some
departments of the District of
Columbia government be charged
with the responsibility to investi-
gate and secure evidence to be
submitted to any trial board with
respect to charges preferred
against a member of the Metro
politan Police force.
%. We recommend that the Office
of the Corporation Counsel for the
District of Columbia be charged
with responsibility to submit this
evidence to any trial board.
"3. We recommend that Chapter
IS of the manual of the Metro.
politan Police Department be re-
drafted, modernized and revised
to establish with certainty the
responsibilities and functions of a
trial board.
a. We recommend that no disci-
plinary action be taken against 1t.
Jacob Wolf on the charges pre-
ferred herein"
The three attorneys who heard
the Wolf case were Wilbert Nc
1nerney. chairman; William J.
Rowan and Nathaniel j. Ely.
High Tension Wire Kills