Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-15
Waiting at Court

tracted proceedings in con-
nection with q criminal case
pending in the u. 8. District
Court for the District Of
Columbia in which I was
the complainant, 1 became
aware Of what seems to me
an injustice to the officers
of the Metropolitan Police
Department and a detriment
to the people Of the District
Of Columbia.
This results from the fact
the officers receive no credit
for the time required Of them
in the court branch of their
work If they otherwise would
be OF duty.
The case in which I was
the complaining witness first
came to trial on Wednesday,
February 6. Of this year. The
two police officers who had
conducted the Investigation
and ! reported in the court
room shortly after 9 am.
Owing to the pressure Of
other court business the trial
did not get under way until
about 8 pm. We spent the
intervening time in the wit
ness room.
The officers were weary.
plainly in need Of rest. They
were on night duty that week.
working from midnight to
8 am. They had reported
In the court room that morn
ing only q little more than
an hour after completing
that duty. Moreover. they had
similarly been deprived Of
their rest only foEty-eight
hours previously. / UNDER
stood, having been In court on
another case on Monday Of
the week. February (.
Court was recessed at about
$3.50 until 10 am. the fol-
lowing morning. AS we were
leaving I asked the officers
If they were going on at mid
night that night for their
regular police duty. They said
they were. That meant q
very short sleep, duty from
IL midnight to 8 am,
then in court again by 10
am. for q fun day there.
! was thinking about this
on the way home. 1t didn't
set well. 1t ranked. / hoped
they would have nothing but
the best Of luck that night.
Police officers on occasion
get into tight spots where
they need to be wide awake,
alert. and up on their toes.
! was hoping they would not
run into anything like that.
During the hours I spent
in the witness room on sew
eral days awaiting the sum-
mons Of the court. / had the
opportunity to hear the la
ments of officers there in
connection with other cases.
Among them were those on
night duty who otherwise
would be home sleeping. Then
there was the officer whose
day OF it was. Instead of
spending it with his family
as he had q right to expect,
he was polishing the hard
bottom Of one Of the chairs
In the witness room awaiting
the summons of the court.
The lucky ones were those
who otherwise would be on
duty.
I had been thinking of this
as personal to the officers. A
little reflection convinced me
there is more to 1t than that.
1t Is q matter Of public con-
Germ. An ofncer under such
circumstances is not at his
best.
/ propose an amendment
to the law.
The following is offered
in the hope, it will serve at
least as a working basis. Ref
erence Is made to an officer
Of the Metropolitan Police Of
the District of Columbia:
"The time an officer is re-
quired to be in court, or
awaiting the summons Of the
court. or in proceedings be-
fore the grand Jury. or the
United States Commissioner,
or the United States Attor-
ney, when he otherwise would
be of duty, shall reduce by
an equal amount the time he
next Is required to be on
duty"
All that is here proposed
is that the court branch of an
officers work shall count
toward his required number
Of hours on duty equally with
the other branches Of his
work. It's as simple as that.
I am sure the people Of the
district Of Columbia do not
wish to punish their officers
for doing their duty and do
ing 1t well. I am equally sure,