Evening star., 1953-03-31
Criminal News Gag
In Maryland Passes,
14-12, in Senate Test
By Gene Goodwin
Sfor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

By Gene Goodwin
Sfor Stoff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 31.-A bill
that would severely restrict the
right of the press to report crime
and court news passed it's. first
vote test in the State Senate by
narrow 14-to-12 margin last
night.
The vote advanced the bill to
third reading in the Senate. A
constitutional majority of IS
votes is necessary to adopt it if
and when it comes up for final
passage.
"There is a little bit too much
tenderness on the part of the
press about freedom of speech, +"
declared Senator John Grason
Turnbull, Democrat, of Baltimore
County in urging support of the
bill.
IF the press will not control
itself. in the interest of the
everyday citizen, the time will
come-if it hasn't already arrived
when the press will compel the
people Of this country to control
its unbridled use Of constitu-
tional privilege"
Senator Turnbull is defense
lawyer for a man accused of the
murder Of his wife.
Even now" Mr.. Turnbull
said, "a client of mine awaiting
trial has been prejudiced in his
legitimate defense.
THE right of the press to
speak its mind must be preserved
OF course it must"
Senator Turnbull is counsel
for Wilbur F. Coyle, 40, an official
OF the Baltimore Office OF the
Veterans Administration, who
was indicted March % in the
fatal shooting of his wife Eliza
beth, IS, at their home in Tow
son on February Is. Trial is
pending.
TurnbuIl Backs Bill.
The measure was introduced
by Senator Francis K. Dippel,
Democrat, of Baltimore City.
The bill would prohibit States
attorneys and other law enforce
ment officials from discussing
any criminal case with repre-
sentatives of any public commu-
nication while such case is
pending in the trial courts"
That would mean that Mary
land prosecutors and police could
not. talk about any case with
! representatives of newspapers,
magazines and radio and tele-
vision stations until the case
came to trial.
Senator Dippel said, in answer
to question, that the prohibi-
ton would not cease after a pre-
liminary hearing, but would ap-
ply until the case was disposed
Of in county Circuit Courts or
Baltimore City's Criminal Court.
The prohibition originally would
have remained effective on cases
appealed to the Maryland Court
Of Appeals, but that provision
was deleted by committee
amendment.
GOldstein Voices Opposition.
Senate Majority Leader Louis
L. Goldstein, publisher of two
weekly Calvert County news
papers, was the only spokesman
against the bill.
"I've probably been cussed and
discussed by newspapers more
than any other person in the
Senate" he said, "but we have
q free press in Maryland, and 1t
knows how far it can co."
Then he read from the Mary
land Declaration of Rights:
"That the liberty Of the press
ought to be inviolably preserved; ;
that every citizen Of the State
ought to be allowed to speak,
write and publish his sentiments
on all subjects, being responsible
for the abuse Of that privilege. -
Stems From Grammer Case.
Senator Dippel said his bill
stems from the G.. Edward
Grammer murder trial in Balti-
more last year.
Life magazine Of September
Is. 1852, disclosed all the details
and evidence in the case prior
to the man ever being charged, %
he stated.
ut Is not the duty or the obli-
CATION Of newspapers, radio and
TV stations to decide whether
or not a man Is guilty. The
press doesn't have q right to inn
pair a mans right to have an
unprejudiced Jury and trial"
Senator Turnbull said news
paper stories have prevented a
fair and impartial trial in many
cases. a
He said, during the recent
presidential election campaign,
Baltimore newspapers devoted
one, two or three columns a day
to the campaign, but two. three
and four pages q day to the
Grammer trial-''the unfortu-
nate details Of the unfortunate
life Of an unfortunate man."
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