Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Walsh Would
Halt Criminal
Cases by Noon
Municipal Court
Plan to Free Police
For Afternoon Duty
By chorIes 6. Brooks

By chorIes 6. Brooks
Municipal Court Chief Judge
Leonard P. Walsh has offered to
take steps that would complete
nearly all police court criminal
cases by noon each day.
If put into effect. the move
would free hundreds of police
officers to return to their beats
and as many witnesses to go back
to their jobs in the afternoons.
Judge Walsh declared yester-
day he is willing to shift judges
serving in the courts Civil Di-
vision to the Criminal Division
in the mornings SO there would
be two United States branches,
two D. c. branches and two
traffic courts, rather than one
each. as at present.
Murray Agreeable.
Police Chief Robert v. Murray
yesterday welcomed the offer. He
said he is happy to see any move
that would free his men to
return to their jobs of policing,
or that would make it easier on
officers patroling at night, who
must spend hours in court the
following morning.
Judge Walsh declared that his
court, now that the huge back
log of civil cases has been
brought up to date, is in a posi-
ton to take other steps to speed
the administration of justice and
to help the Metropolitan Po-
lice Departments law enforce
ment job.
At present, on Monday morn
ings, a heavy day for violations
of the police regulations, the
court runs two D. C. branches,
with mostly drunk and disorderly
cases.
Others Sometimes Operating.
At times, there are also two
United States branches on Mon
days in operation, handling as
saults, larcenies, preliminary
hearings and various Federal
offenSes.
Generally, all defendants, po-
lice officers and other witnesses
are forced to be present in court
at 10 am. AS each drags out.
court officials attempt to handle
cases involving police officers
working one of the night shifts
first. But often officers and wit
nesses are forced to sit waiting
throughout the day until mid
afternoon,
The offer, however, presents a
/ number of serious problems.
1t would take more assistant
corporation counsels and assist
ant United States attorneys to
staff the added courts running
each morning, according to Cor
poration Counsel Vernon West
and United States Attorney Leo
A. Rover.
West Is Skeptical.
Mr.. West, when presented
with the idea, was skeptical. He
pointed out his Municipal Court
staff totals six, including it's
chief, Clark F. King.
Even now, the d. C. and traf-
fic courts are not manned by
full-time prosecutors. Judge
Walsh has also indicated disap-
pointment at that.
Assistant United States At
torney Kenneth D. Wood, in
charge of the Federal prosecu-
tors at the Municipal Court,
however. feels he could handle
the added burden with his pres
ent staff of eight, including him
self.
Both Mr.. Rover and Mr.. West
said they would study the offer
Judge Walsh, whose handling
Of the court since he took office
a year and a half ago was
highly praised by the Justice
Department, declared that shift
ing judges from the Civil Division
to the Criminal Division in the
mornings would in no way i'm
pair the progress of civil cases
When the jurists have COM
pleted the days criminal docket
they would be expected to take
on civil cases. Attorneys with
civil cases would be told to ap-
pear at IL or 1880 am, rather
than at $50 and 10 am, as they
are now. Judge Walsh continued