Evening star., 1954-04-21
Police Scored
In kixup on
Traffic Tickets
Town Forces BIumed
For Long Delays
In Prince Georges

An official of the Maryland
Department of Motor Vehicles
yesterday sharply criticized the
handling of traffic tickets dis
pensed by some of Prince
Georges County's q small town
police departments.
The cehsure brought to light
the fact that some 80 traffic
violations in the past three years
have. in effect, been hanging in
midair.
Owen r. E. McGeeney, con-
troller of the department, said
the violations mixup was uncov-
cred when department account
ants last November started q
house-cleaning job on Prince
Georges County records.
Most of the blame was placed
by Mr.. McGeeney on the small
town forces that checkerboard
the county.
Typical Example Cited.
Cited as a typical example
is the case of Charles Forwood,
So. a Baltimore bus driver, who
was given a ticket for driving
while drunk on June 8, 1851,
by former Bladensburg police
man. Leo Paschini.
He was tried before Hyatts-
vile Magistrate Theodore Miazga,
convicted and fined $126.70, in
cluding costs, on July S, 1851.
Mr.. Forwood thought the mat.
ter was ended and went on carry
ing passengers until he had
practically forgotten the convic-
ton.
However, two weeks ago he
was given a harsh reminder. He
received a registered letter adj
vlsing him that upon it's receipt
his privilege to drive was forth
with revoked.
Driver to Fight Case.
He has hired an attorney and
intends to fight the case on
grounds an exception should be
made in view of the lengthy de-
lay between conviction and re-
ceipt of his revocation notice
In similar situation is Louis
P. Allen. Bethesda truck sales
man arrested in Riverdale on
December II, 1851. He for
feited $l26.70 rather than stand
trial.
Yesterday, he received regis
tered letter, informing him his
permit has been suspended. He
also has consulted a lawyer.
Policemen on Prince Georges
County's small town forces had
not sent in pink forms to be
checked out against Magistrate
Miazga's yellow traffic tickets,
Mr.. McGeeney explained.
Both Slips Needed.
Without both of the slips. he
continued, the department cam
not take action.
He said substitute slips may
be obtained when a policeman
loses the original, but in the
cases of MI. Forwood and Mr..
Allen, for some reason the dupli-
cate slips were not obtained until
three weeks ago.
Mr.. McGeeney said the cases
might have been put aside for
some time because of the pres
sure of other department work.
He also said Prince Georges
County police officials often re-
fuse to answer requests for in
formation, and generally stall
us along"
The comptroller contended
that Prince Georges police were
the only ones in the State who
have caused the department
trouble.
To further illustrate his pic
ture of a sad situation in Prince
Georges County" Mr.. McGeeney
released letter written April 5
by Magistrate Miazga.
s5 Listed on Old Books.
The magistrate listed 35 names
of persons still on our old coll
lateral books"
LAS far as we have been able
to check" wrote Mr.. Miazga.
I'VE have no other records, no
docket sheets; not even a COL
lateral receipt that we usually
receive on each case.
Hence, the problem with
these cases is, how to get them
off our books, when we have no
papers of any kind to process
them through the court. In
short. the money was paid, but
- -
Robert G. Miller, a DMV in
vestigator, yesterday said he has
found police copies of traffic
tickets rolled up in balls. splat-
tered with grease and smudged
with footprints when checking
Prince Georges cases.
He added that he even has
gone into the homes of police
men and has found children
playing with traffic records.