Evening star., 1953-06-14
Barrett Sees
Easier Course
For Crime Bill
Most Of Objections
Now Are Overcome,
Senator Believes

The Districts big anti-crime
bill, harnassed by delays and OBJ
jections last week, is expected
to run a smoother course this
week-now that its sponsors
have agreed to delete some of
its more controversial sections.
Senator Barrett, Republican,
OF Wyoming, who spent every
session last week trying to get
action on the bill, said last night
he thought most of the objec-
tions had been overcome.
The principal objector, Sena-
tor Morse. Independent, of Ore
gon, left for his home State
after presenting his views in de-
bate Thursday night. His Office,
however, last night made public
a formal resolution adopted
Friday by the Judicial Confer.
ence of the District of Colum-
bia Circuit.
Judicial Conference Views
The Judicial Conference went
on record as opposing provis-
ions of the bill (which compel
the judges of the District Court
to impose minimum sentences
in certain classes of cases; which
deny such judges the right to
place certain defendants on pro-
baton and the right to admit
certain defendants to parole, and
which bring about. in effect, re-
peal of certain provisions of the
Federal Youth Corrections Act
as it was made applicable to the
District of Columbia"
Senator Barrett has already
announced that he would agree
to amendments meeting some Of
the objections.
The bill, as the judges objected
to it. would have made certain
offenders ineligible for the re-
Mobilization of the Federal Youth
Corrections Act and would have
denied probation and parole.
Amendments proposed by Sem
ator Morse and Senator Hend-
rickson, Republican. of New
Jersey, would strike out all ref
erence to probation and the Fed
eral Youth Corrections Act.
Senator Barrett said he would
agree to these amendments as
well as another Hendrickson
amendment eliminating house.
breaking at night as one Of the
crimes with a fixed minimum
sentence. Another revision, con-
ceded by Senator Barrett, would
limit the type of robbery with
fixed minimum sentence to
armed robbery.
AS the House passed the big
crime bill, the mandatory mini
mum sentences to which bench
and bar vigorously object ap-
piled to first offenders. The
Senate version would apply only
to repeaters.
Barrett Is Confident.
Senator Barrett said he was
confident that with the fixed
minimum sentences applying
only to repeaters. with the num-
ber of crimes limited to serious
offenses and with the Federal
Youth Correction Act and pro-
baton unaffected. the bill has a
good chance of passage.
Senator Morse's statement re-
leasing the judges resolution
said the latter is entitled to
great consideration coming as
as does from all of the judges
of District Court and Court Of
Appeals of the District of CO.
lumbia."
"These jurists," said Senator
Morse, "have had intimate ex-
perience with administering the
criminal law and it is their
judgement that the mandatory
minimum sentence and the re-
peal of certain provisions of the
Federal Youth Correction Act
would be unwise."
Senator Morse said he had re.
ceived a copy Of the resolution
it does from all of the judges
trict Committee and "felt it
should be made public before
the Senate continues debate on
the District of Columbia crime
bill this coming Monday"
Although the crime bill is the
Senate's pending business, debate
on the Agriculture Appropria.
tionS bill will take precedence.