Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-24
But q Attack
D. c. Bill as
Repressive
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star Staff Writer

"narrow-minded. repressive and
|unpalatable."
The bill, approved by the
committee by a 15-to-4 vote,
threatens liberty end freedom
and good government, a So
page dissent concludes.
The signers are Democratic
Representatives Dawson Of
Illinois, Diggs Of Michigan.
Multer of New York and Cohe-
Ian of California. Mr.. Dawson
and Mr.. Digs repeatedly did
not vote against the bill in
committee because they we're
absent.
Four Are Opposed
The opposition votes came
from Mr.. Multer and Mr..
Cohelan and Representatives
Matthias, Republican of Mary
land, and Sisk, Democrat of
California, who will file sep
arate minority reports, it was
understood.
The majority report, due to
incorporate the dissents,
stressed that Congress must
preserve in the District rights
equally as important and
inalienable" as freedoms for
the individual.
These rights, in the majority
view, were those of people
to walk in safety upon the
public streets and their right
to security in their homes or
places of business"
The bill was put together by
the committee after joint Sem
ate-House hearings from IL
pending proposals. Sixty wit
nesses testified.
Under the proposed legisIa-
ton:
The District Commissioners
ban on arrests for investigation
would be erased.
; The Supreme Court ruling in
: the Mallory case, dealing with
; confessions, and the Durham
> case, affecting criminal insani-
ly pleas, would be modified. A
> confession would not be ex-
I cluded from evidence solely be-
cause of a delay between ar
rest and arraignment.
A defendant, to be acquitted
e because of insanity. would be
t required to prove he could not
tell right from wrong. Current
law requires the prosecution in
a criminal case to carry the
burden Of proof.
Convicted rapists would face
death sentences, unless juries
recommended life imprison-
ment. The bill also would
tougher penalties for multiple
crimes, seek to curb obscene
literature, and tighten laws on
bribery connected with athletic
events, robbery sentences and
offenses involving explosives.
: The committee assured the
, House it was concerned with
such causes of crime as de-
linquency, school dropouts, IL
literacy, poor housing and lack
; of job skills.
Real Urgency Seen
Most pressing and of real
: urgency, all witnesses agreed,
: was the need to take immedi-
ate, effective steps. legislative
ly and otherwise. to curb the
incidence Of crime" the report
2 said.
To the minority, the COM
t mittee had ignored fiscal leg
: islation designed to end the
S financial starvation of the Dis
trict." This money would have
A enabled the Capital to attack
r "the roots of crime in social
l and economic misery" the dis
D sent claimed.
!. This was a sideswipe at the
o committee for separate action
' rejecting President Kennedy's
flexible formula for Federal
! payments and loans.
The minority criticized the
majority for trying Ito revamp
the entire law on criminal re-
: Sponsibility" without adequate
;, consideration. In the minority
l view, the bill abridges consti-
tutional rights and invades the
separate powers of the judi
ciary.
Mallory Aspect Hit
The dissent said the Mallory
modification opens the door 70
unrestrained detention Of sus-
!, poets.
Hearings conducted by Rep
resentative Whitener, Demo-
crat Of North Carolina, re-
4 Elected these facts, according
TO the report:
. /. Serious offenses have
: steadily increased in Washing
! ton through the last five years
2. June, 1868, was the thir-
tenth consecutive month with
an increase in crime for the
E city.
i 3. Fiscal year 1868 closed
:. with an increase Of 1888 Of
y lenses. or 81 per cent more
d than in the previous year.
a 4. The District ranks eighth
d in the rate of criminal offenseS
per 1000 population in the
: United States. It leads In ag-
Y gravated assaults. however, and
y has the largest number Of MUIR
S ders per 100000 population
= among cities Of comparable
size.