Evening star., 1953-05-06
Fixed Minimums Stir
Only Real Opposition
AT Crime Bill Hearing
By Miriom Gutenberg

Agreement on most provisions
of the Districts big crime bill to-
day left the question of fixed
minimum sentences as the only
bone of contention in the omni-
bus measure.
Witnesses testifying at a joint
Congressional committee session
yesterday favored most of the
4O-odd provisions of the bill.
They suggested alterations and
rewriting, which the committee
directed them to iron out with
staff members.
Only the section providing
mandatory minimum sentences
for certain serious crimes ran
into major opposition.
Chairman Barrett Of the Sem
ate District Judiciary Subcom-
mittee said his group and the
House District Crime subcom-
mittee, which is participating
in the joint hearings, will have
to decide in closed session
whether the sentence provision
should remain in the bill.
Chairman Kalle of the House
group said he favored including
the sentence requirement in the
bill and letting the full House
and Senate District Committees
decide whether to keep it there.
Public to Be Heard.
Before a decision is reached
on the only controversial meas
ure, however, the joint commit
tee will hear testimony from the
public at a session at 7:30 pm.
Friday in the Caucus Room of
the Senate Office Building.
Mr.. Tale said he had told
Corporation Counsel Vernon
West and United States Attorney
Leo A. Rover to get together
with the committee stats as soon
as possible to rewrite the sec
tions they think need amend
mentS.
I'VE are eager to build on the
momentum we have so we can
get action" he said, emphasizing
the need for speed.
Senator Barrett also wanted
speedy action.
I'VE have made quite a lot of
headway," he said. I'VE ought
to be able to whip it out in short
order. It's just a matter of de-
Gliding what we want to do about
minimum sentence"
Chief Judge Bolitha ]. Laws,
Of U. S. District Court for
the District of Columbia, Mr..
Rover and Commissioner Samuel
Spencer testified in favor of
most of the provisions in the big
bill but opposed fixed sentences.
Judge Laws said he did not
advocate coddling serious offend
ers but that he feels the judges
should have discretion in SEN
fencing because of unusual cases
Prosecutors and judges. he said,
are inclined to accept pleas to
lesser crimes or drop cases 10
prevent injustice where mini
mum sentences are fixed by law.
He appealed to committee
members not to include the fixed
minimumS because a few judges
may be giving what the men,
bers consider are too light SEN
tenceS.
Mr.. Rover said everyone favors
adequate sentences but diSagreeS
on what is adequate.
Police Chief Robert v. Murray,
without commenting directly on
the sentence provision, said he is
interested in seeing something
done for the law-abiding public.
A lot of criminals are that way
by choice, he said, and in the
majority of cases where they are
arrested for serious crimes, they
already have a record.
The three House members at
the session all obviously, favored
fixed minimum sentences.
Virginia Minimums Cited.
Representative Smith, Demo-
crat, of Virginia, said there is
just too much crime in Washing
ton. He said that such condi-
tions are not found in Virginia
with its stiff minimum penal
ties.
He told Mr.. Rover the commit
tee is not trying to take discre-
ton from the judges but wants
to make sure that in trough
cases." the criminals go to jail.
Some penologists," remarked
Mr.. Tall. "seem to have more
sympathy for the culprits than
for the victims. The crime rate
here frightenS me-"
Representative Davis, Demo-
crat, of Georgia. author of most
of the provisions in the combined
bill, including the provision for
fixed minimums, said he hopes
Congress will retain this pro-
vision and make. it part of the
law.
Most of the other provisions of
the Davis bill were Endorsed by
the witnesses. while most of the
provisions incorporated from bills
introduced in the Senate were
criticized. at least partially. The
joint committee, however, found
no inSurmountable obstacles in
these criticisms.
Sections Held Unnecessary.
Judge Laws said the uniform
extradition proposal "a model
act written in a Senate bills
good thing but some sections
are unnecessary here.
Judge Laws, Mr.. Rover and
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