◆ SpookStack

“During the trial of three -of the defendants charged ‘ withyhis (DeJohn’s) murcer, and jwhile the jury was de- libeyating, you, as the Lis- ' -tricf Attorney of San Fran- cisco, moved for a dismissal of the jury although de. | fendant Leonard Calamia . Was suspected of having. ‘been involved in a previous killing of one Caramussa -in Chicago and although “Calamia had nof testified. . - BOOKIE DECISION. Parker said the next “situa. ition. that’ caused .me some concern” arose in a case in ‘which Brown, as attorney - general, was asked by the Los Angeles district attorney for an opinion in a case involv. ing use of lstening devices by Long. Beach police investigat. ing a bookie ring, charging: * ; “The uncertainty as. to” . the propriety of police ac- « | tion raised by ‘your opinion, |,and the Cahan ~ decision that followed, caused a re- ‘frenchment in enforcement :action even in areas that ‘might have been met with subsequent approval and ‘despite the fact that.the ‘ practice was approved by a penal code section.” ' _ : Parker cited a long list of discrepancies: between state ments the Governor . had made in speeches while he was a: “potential : candidate for governor” in 1957 and his actions following his.élection he police chief: reminded, Brown that during the 1960| budget session of the Legis lature he (Parker) met with the Governor “as an official spokesman: “for. the: City of Lés Angeles: in support of a special session : on. narcotics legislation,” adding: “-. 7 . “Not only did you refuse to call a special session on narcotics but during the _sedond meeting you ‘strong: ly |indicated that. youj_ be- lieyed the responsibility for ‘Our inability to contain the “illicit narcotics trate res largely with the Los Ange- les Policé-Department and narticularly me. ° “Nevertheless, you did call a special session edpital punishment a yqu sponsored a bill to péal it in California. . FWith other law enforce. . ment representatives, I spoke in opposition to the | dill and it failed in com- mittee by one-vote. “Some believe the failure of this bill determined the final disposition of the -Chessman case.” _ | - TOO INDEFINITE _In meetings of a legislative liaison committee, which had lrepresentatives of the gover- inor’s office, the attorney gen- eral,- peace officers’ : assucia- tions, sheriffs and .. district attorneys, Parker said, there was “a free exchange of ideas and proposals with the excep- tion of your representative,” pointing out: - ot «We are unable to deter- “mine your position on nar- cotics legislation which was not made known until Feb. 27, 1961, and by that time our program had been ap- -preved and our bills intro- du¢ed. . .. “tn the light of this ‘tory, it is difficult to und _stand what you intend to ‘convey when you say in your -April 2, 1961, letter to me, “<1 stand ready to meet jn you at-any mutu éopvenient time. to discus _fuither improvements in th “administration ‘of criming justice’.” — ;