Man Is Convicted Of Morals Charge, Evening Star (Article, April 1954)
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Man Is Convicted Of Morals Charge; Judge Lauds Officer
Municipal Court Judge Edward A. Beard today convicted a 25-year-old man for soliciting for lewd and immoral purposes and at the same time praised the conduct of the arresting officer.
The jurist sentenced Paul J. Ross of the 400 block of Evarts street N.E. to a $100 fine or 60 days in jail.
The conviction came in the midst of a controversy over what United States Attorney Leo A. Rover calls a very low percentage of police court convictions in cases involving homosexuals.
Mr. Rover voiced his views last week at a meeting of Police Court judges. Chief Judge Leonard P. Walsh, however, has suggested that the United States attorney assigned assign more experienced prosecutors to handle cases in Municipal Court.
Mr. Rover is reported to have said that would not be feasible. A meeting tomorrow is scheduled between police officials and members of Mr. Rover's staff at Municipal Court to discuss the rate of such convictions.
Judge Beard, in a lengthy written decision, referred to a case, Cratty vs. the United States, which with other cases limits the arresting officer's conduct. The judge wrote:
"The officer's conduct in the present case is so patently in accord with the procedures of detection hereby authorized and approved that one could almost assume that he held the Cratty opinion in one hand while he made effeminate gestures with the other.
"The defendant is adjudged guilty."
