Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-09
Crime Law May Hit
D. {. Landlords Who
Harbor Boot|eggers
Owners to Face Action
If Nuisance Tenants
Are Not Evicted
Bv ChorIes G. Brooks

Landlords and occupants OF
buildings who permit bootlegging
in their premises may face i'm
mediate prosecution under the
new District omnibus crime law.
Deputy Police Chief Clarence
H. Lutz and Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel Clark F. King al
ready have taken steps to prevent
loopholes, The Star learned,
such as the standard Il don't
know about it" plea.
Whenever the police morals
division receives complaint of
illegal sale of intoxicants, check
on the premises will be made.
Should the building or apart
ment be a known center of boot
Logging, Chief Lutz will inform
the owner or occupant who will
either evict the tenants or face
a possible injunction which
might paddock the building for
a year.
The law, which puts the
squeeze on landlords who know
ingly permit bootlegging in their
premises, does not apply only to
the large rental businesses, Chief
Lutz declared. 1t affects any,
body who owns and rents prop
erty. he continued.
The result, of course, could
mean also a serious loss of rev.
enue to owners or lessees of the
premises.
The new crime law has made
possible a renewed. drive on
Washington's thriving bootleg
ging racket. 1t affects bootleg
ging from Illegally operated bot
tie clubs to the small-time GRIM
lnal who sells intoxicants lille
gally from a mere room.
The eventual penalty for land
lords or occupants, if they con-
tinue to permit bootlegging,
could be a $1,000 fine and a
year in jail-or both.
The new law reads in part:
ANY building. ground, prem
1seS, or place where any intoxi-
eating beverage is manufactured,
sold. kept for sale or permitted
to be consumed in violation of
this Act is hereby declared to be
a nuisance and may be enjoined
and abated.
An action to enJoin any nuis-
ance may be brought :.
against any person conducting
or maintaining such nuisance or
knowingly permitting such nuis-
ance to be conducted or main
tanned"
Subject to Court Action.
Mr.. King and Chief Lutz be-
lieve that the police notification
of a violation of the liquor regu-
lations sent to the rental agent.
landlord of lessee will be suf-
f1cient to instigate eviction &C
ton.
But, if the notice does not have
the desired effect-the eviction of
the tenants committing the Of
fenSes-the Corporation Coun-
sells office will begin prosecution.
However, it may not always
be the landlord who will be pros
ecuted. Should a third party
have signed a lease for a given
period and the lease fails to make
provision for eviction in case of
illegal activity. the lessee will be
subject to prosecution instead of
the landlord.
Should the landlord, or lessee,
after the police notification fail
to comply with the law, they are
subject to court action.
Injunction May Be Issued
An Injunction or restraining
order may be issued and upon
final judgment the court may
order that the defendant shall
not occupy or use, for a period of
one year thereafter, the build
ing :"
The court may, however, per-
NIT the use of the premises if
the defendant gives bond of $500
to $1,000.
Should the landlord or occu-
pant continue to permit the
ABC regulations to be violated
(See BOOT ,ECGTNG Page A.6O