Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-11
Traffic Officials
Would Revise
License Rules
Seek to Speed
Permit Revocation
After Conviction

District officials are moving
to authorize Municipal Court
judges to confiscate the driving
permit Of a motorist immediate
~ on conviction Of an offense
calling for mandatory revoca-
ton.
At present, the revocation
process is handled through the
Department of Vehicles and
Traffic. Until the procedure is
completed. the convicted motor
lists may continue to drive.
Chief Judge Leonard Walsh
Iof Municipal Court. Chief AS
sistant Corporation Council CLARK
King at the court and Traffic
Director George E. Keneipp in
dorse the idea of on-the-spot sur
render of the permits if the lie.
Igalities involved are cleared.
Mr.. Keneipp is making up a
report on procedures in other
States where judges are author
lied to pick up the permits and
send them to the traffic bureau,
His report will 60 to the Cor
poration CounSel's Office where
"a study will be made as to
whether legislation would be
needed here.
Possibly. the Commissioners
could simply authorize the
Judges as their agents to pick
up the permits. The offenders
appeal rights must be taken into
consideration in any new plan.
Benefits Noted
Mr.. Keneipp said the move
would save his department
thousands of hours in paper
work and locating persons still
holding and driving with revoked
permits after the appeal period
has elapsed.
Under present practice, driv-
ers whose licenses are revoked
have. an appeal period, after
which the courts notify the De-
|partment of Vehicles and Traffic,
which in turn notifies the con-
victed driver by letter to sur
render his revoked permit.
Offenses requiring mandatory
revocation include driving while
drunk, driving under the influ-
|ence of narcotics. leaving after
+colliding involving personal in
jury, reckless driving involving
personal injury. homicide involv-
ing an automobile and any fell
|ony involving an automobile.
Judge Walsh said that I'VE be-
Ilieve it was the intent Of Con-
gress to prevent these people
from driving immediately be-
cause they specifically made it
mandatory to revoke these Ii
'censes. Therefore, it is entirely
agreeable with, this court that we
pick UP the license when an Of
fender is convicted"
Specific Case Cited
In Traffic Court case Satur-
day, Judge Mildred Reeves gave
a man 80 days in jail for his
second conviction within nine
months for driving while drunk.
The man convicted, Benjamin
Coney. 30. Negro, Of the 1900
block Of l street NV, told Judge
Reeves he never got a notice of
revocation from the Department
of Vehicles and Traffic.
1.-THE judge should make him
turn his permit in to the court, f"
said Mr.. King.
within 10 days after his con-
Iviction for drunken driving, a
person can appeal the decision, "
Mr.. King said. But after those
10 days that person should be
required to turn in his permit to
the clerk of the court "
Mr.. King said cases Of con-
lvicted drunken drivers repeat
ling their offense occur too often.
Recently a man convicted a year
ago Of drunken driving brought
in a revocation notice he said
he Just received, according to
Mr.. King. Judge Reeves, who is
beginning a six-month assign
Iment IN Traffic Court. encour-
aged Mr.. King to confer with
Traffic Director George E.
Keneipp about the delay in
sending out notices of driver per-
NIT revocationA