Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-17
House Group OKs
District Crime Bill
Police Get Aid
On Questioning,
Investigation
BY SAM EASTMAN
star Staff Writer

An OMNIBUS crime bill Tor
Washington was approved to-
day by the House District
Committee.
The legislation carries wide
range of crime-fighting weap-
ons for police in the District.
Among other provisions, it
would relax the Commission
ers' ban on arrests for inves-
tigation.
The measure was approved
at an executive session by a
15-to-4 vote. The opposition
by the four members was not
to the entire bill but to various
sections of the legislation, a
committee staff member said.
The omnibus bill was ap-
proved last week. by a House
District subcommittee headed
by Representative Whitener,
Democrat of North Carolina.
The subcommittee recently held
hearings on a number of pro-
posed crime bills.
A committee spokesman said
today it is doubtful that final
work on the bill can be COM
pleted in time to schedule the
measure for House floor action
Monday. Next Monday is
District Day, when local bills
have priority on the floor.
A major provision in the
crime bill would permit Wash
ington police again to make
arrests for investigation. The
District Commissioners banned
such arrests last March IS.
6-HOur Questioning OK'd
Under the bill, police would
be permitted to question a sus-
pect for a maximum of six
hours. At the end of this period,
: the person would have to be
: either charged or released.
Other sections of the legis-
lation are aimed at countering
two court decisions-the NAL
lory rule, which threw out a
confession because of the
length of time between arrest
and arraignment, and the Dur
ham rule, which widened the
grounds for insanity pleas.
The omnibus measure also
carries tougher court penalties
. for a number of offenses.
: One section of the bill would
: establish an automatic death
n sentence for convicted rapists
0 unless the jury recommends
q life Imprisonment. The cur
rent penalty for rape is a
= maximum of 80 years, unless
the jury demands the death
a penalty.
Under the legislation, the
! Districts current prison penal
ties added for multiple crimes
> where the criminal carries a
i gun would be made mandatory
rather than optional. These
I added penalties are five years
. for the first offense, 10 for the
second, Is for the third and
, 30 for the fourth.
e Other sections of the bill in
{ clude a new statute on obscene
S literature. a new law covering
bribery connected with athletic
: events, and tougher sentences
for robbery and offenSes in
r volving explosives.
! Other Bills Reported
= The House District Commit
e tee also reported out bills to:
/. /. Authorize the District
Unemployment Compensation
Boardw to inform the city's
Welfare Department whether
a welfare applicant is drawing
unemployment compensation.
2. Allow stock life insurance
companies in Washington to
maintain a record of stock
holders either in the firm
principal place of business or
at the bank that acts as its
: transfer agent. The current
d law requires files to be at the
principal place of business.
n 3. Allow the District Board
,e of Dental Examiners to take into
Ie account certain national exam
;e nations taken by applicants
d for dental hygienist licenses.
It 4. Eliminate a conflict be-
lie tween provisions of the city
1t court systems Small Claims
a branch and the statute cover
Is ing the Motor Vehicle Safety
Responsibility Act on the length
Of time between the filing Of
papers and a court hearing
N 5. Permit the District Gov
" eminent to discard one of two
It duplicate filing systems on mo-
o tor vehicle liens.