Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-13
WiIeyBiIIAsks
Paid Defender
For Indigenfs
$4,000 Allotted
U. S. Court Posts;
Rogers Urged Plan
BY CARL IRVING
star star Writer

~A@ASA@
star stan Writer
Senator Wiley, Republican of
Wisconsin, today introduced
legislation to allow the District
Courts of the United States to
name public defenders for in
digent defendants.
The bill would authorize APP
preparations to pay annual
salaries of $4,000 to public
defenders and to provide as
many assistants as required.
The Senator, who said he
introduced the bill at the re-
quest of the Attorney General,
said:
There is a community
responsibility, consonant with
the constitutional requirement
to provide full-time paid coun-
sci, trained in the techniques of
the criminal law, to represent
the poor who are charged with
crime"
The Senator praised the Dis
trict Bar Association for fine
work in arranging for volunteer
service by its members in de-
Tense of persons charged be-
fore the District and Munich
pal Courts in Washington" He
noted that the load had been
seriously increased" by a re-
cent decision that all persons
charged with insanity are en-
titled to representation by
counsel.
Rotating Counsel Asked
I Meanwhile, the District Com
missioners proposed that Wash
Iington attorneys be appointed
without compensation on ro-
tating basis to represent indi-
gents in the city'S courts.
The proposed congressional
bill is in response to a matter
of growing concern among |
Washington lawyers-the rising
number of INDECENT cases in the |
District and Municipal Courts.
Under the present procedure,
attorneys are appointed by
court judges without compensa-
ton in INDECENT cases before
District Court. Attorneys are
also appointed by Municipal
Court judges in INDECENT cases,
but the attorneys may obtain
fees if their clients are able to
pay.
The Commissioners have
stated that "a very conservative
estimate" shows 5000 to 10000
cases a year are handled by
appointed counsel in Municipal,
District and Juvenile Courts.
1t has also been estimated that
District Court cases average
100 hours of working time for
attorneys involved. Some at
torneys who are assigned cases
in Municipal Court are reported
to accept as many as 300 year
Spreads ChOre
The Commissioners bill which
has been privately circulated
among local attorneys interested
in the problem, would spread
the appointment among a
larger number of attorneys. At
present, only a small group of
attorneys is available for indi-
gent cases in District and Mu-
nicipal Courts.
The proposal would provide
for appointment OF director, a
deputy and not more than three
assistants. All would be attor-
neys with at least 10 years
practice in the District and ex-
perience in criminal law mat
tiers.
The Commissioners proposal
also would provide for a defini-
ton of an INDECENT. eligible for
free legal counsel. 1t would set
; a maximum penalty of $500
fine or 80 days sentence for
. persons who falsely represent
themselves to be INDECENT.
DUTY as Charity"
The suggested bill notes:
Recognizing that many thou
, sands of such proceedings occur
/ annually in the District of CO.
lumbia and that attorneys ad-
mitted to practice in the courts
of the District of Columbia con-
slider it their duty, as officers OF
the courts, to represent such
INDECENT persons gratuitously
as an act of charity, it is
. the policy of the Congress that
the burden of such representa-
: ton should, in general, be car
ried by all attorneys rather thar
' the relatively few whose prac-
! tice is devoted to defense of per-
sons charged with crime"
: The recommendation con-
t1ictS, at least in part, with
proposals of the District and
American Bar Associations. A
> bill prepared by the DBA was
e introduced by Representative
: Hyde. Republican of Maryland
s last year. 1t also proposed as
: signment of Washington at
= torneys to INDECENT cases, but
. provided that they would be
y compensated by the city.