Evening star., 1953-06-05
d.. Crime Bill
To Be Reported
In 7 Versions
House and Senute
Units Split on Penalty
For First Offenders

tor FIfSI VTTen0eTS
A split between the House and
Senate District Committees over
court treatment of first offend
ers will send different versions
Of the Districts big anti-crime
bill to the floors of both houses
next week.
The argument focuses on the
section that would require judges
to give a sentence of at least one
year to persons convicted of as
sault with intent to commit
rape, robbery other than pocket
picking or housebreaking at
night and at least three years on
a rape conviction.
First Offenders Excepted.
The Senate District Commit
tee, in approving the big bill late
yesterday, amended it to except
first offenders. The judges, who
have been protesting that the
mandatory minimum sentences
would rob them of their discre-
tion in sentencing, would be able
to sentence as they please or
give probation to first offenders,
under the Senate version.
This is the first parting of the
ways between the House and
Senate District Committees on
the crime bill. Their respective
subcommittee, starting out with
bill passed by the House in
the last Congress and eight bills
introduced in the Senate in this
Congress, had joined forces to
hold hearings and draft a bill on
which they could agree.
To get agreement in the sub
committees, the House members
already had made one conces-
sion-reducing the size of some
of the fixed minimum sentences.
The House District Committee,
meeting yesterday, passed the
bill on which the two subcom-
mittees had agreed except for a
minor amendment. The bill in
cluded the mandatory minimum
for first offenders as well as re-
peaters.
Davis to Continue Effort.
Representative Davis, Demo-
crat. of Georgia, who wrote the
crime bill with the fixed mini
NUNS, told reporters he did not
intend to give up his efforts to
keep them in the bill, first Of
tenders included.
He pointed out that one COM
promise already had been made
by cutting the length of the SEN
tences and he added that the
mandatory minimum sentences
were intended to apply to all
offenders in the interest of max
ing Washington a safer place.
Chairman Case of the Senate
District Committee told newsmen
the first offender compromise
was reached sin difference to the
feelings of many members of the
Senate who expressed some op-
position to the mandatory mini
NUNS"
"We felt our best chance of
early action was to report it this
way" he explained.
Senator Morse, independent, of
Oregon, attending his first meet
ing as a member of the District
Committee, carried the ball
against the mandatory sentences.
II am unalterably opposed to
taking away the right of a Judge
to use his discretion" Senator
Morse told the committee. II
will not support a bill that will
bind the hands Of the judges.
The court is no place for q
straight jacket. That belongs
at st. Elizabeths."
In Case Of Compromise.
Senator Barrett. Republican,
OF Wyoming, who headed the
Senate District subcommittee
working on the bill, told his
colleagues he wanted to go along
with the House members. He
mentioned the compromise al
ready reached and said the sem
tenceS now deal only with the
most aggravated crimes. If the
Senate group wanted to COM
promise further, he said, the
matter could be thrashed out
in conference.
Senator Payne, Republican, of
Maine, suggested the elimination
of first offenders. He said he
knew of cases involving rape
where it later developed that
the accused had been framed" !"
The bill with its SO changes in
existing criminal laws and about
10 new sections has been in the
works for three years. The
House provisions stemmed from
a 1850 District crime investiga-
tion. The Senate provisions grew
out of last years District crime
investigation. Except for the
mandatory minimum sentences,
it has had consistent support
from District officials, who
worked with the joint congress