Evening star., 1953-05-21
Revised Crime Bill
Introduced for Early
Committee Action

Early action Is expected by
House and Senate District Com
mittees on the revised edition Of
the omnibus crime control bill,
introduced yesterday at both
ends of the Capitol.
The measure, revamped after
weeks of study by subcommittee
of the two District units. provides
for a tougher attack on law
breakers here In 80 pages Of new
legislation, containing about 40
new provisions for controls.
Included are stronger provi-
sions against gambling-penal-
ties doubled in some instances
with special sections dealing
with both the numbers racket
and the use Of properties as gam
bling premises.
Retains Mandatory Minimums.
The new version of the meas
ure still includes, with some
notifications, the mandatory
minimum sentence provisions,
which had been opposed by
United States Attorney Leo A.
Rover, judges of the courts, city
officials and spokesmen for the
bar.
Omitted entirely is the earlier
Senate proposal for new mar
cotics measure including the con-
torversial needle law" provi-
sions, to make it a crime for any
unauthorized person tothave pos
session of or Ito use hypodermic
equipment.
This was dropped in keeping
with suggestions from Mr.. Rover
that he thought enforcement
would be better under present
Federal and District statutes.
Up for consideration by a
Senate subcommitte today, how
ever, is a separate bill already
passed by the House providing
compulsory disqualification Of
drug addicts.
$1,000 Gambling Fines.
For gambling, maximum fines
would be raised from $500 to
81 900 and Imprisonment raised
from six months to year. Both
fine and imprisonIn nent could be
levied.
Under the mandatory mini
mum sentence provisions, the
courts would have to impose one
year imprisonment on persons
found guilty Of assault with in
tent to commit rape. robbery and
housebreaking at night. For Sec
ond offenses the mandatory min
imum in the revised bill is cut
from three to two years.
For rape, the minimum has
been cut from five to three years,
and for second offenses, from 10
to seven years.
Omitted from the final draft is
a section that would have allowed
immunity from prosecution to
persons testifying in gambling
cases.
Bottle Club Changes.
Only a minor change has been
Incorporated in the section to
bring the after-hours bottle clubs
under control. This reduces the
proposed license fee from 5000 to
$1O0 while setting up inspection
measures.
The big bill grew out of sep
arate House and Senate crime
Investigations and the resulting
two sets of control bills.
Chairman Tale Of the House
District Crime Subcommittee
said he will seek a Joint session
soon with the judiciary Subcon-
mittee of the Senate District
Committee to make a final check
Of the wording of the new bill.
He said he then would seek ac-
ton as soon as possible by his
subcommittee and the House Dis
trict Committee.
All three members of the Sen
ate Subcommittee Joined in
sponsoring the new bill-Repub-
lican Senator's Barrett of Wyo-
ming and Case of South Dakota
and Democratic Senator Neely
of West Virginia.
Mr.. Case said he will seek ac-
ton by the full committee shortly
after he returns on June 2 from
a speaking trip to the West.