◆ SpookStack

ere aie i Tar iors The "Senate Tudictery Committee Jost little time in approving a bill to “clarify” compliance with the Su- preme Court decision in the Jencks case, In this decision the court ruled that. the government must make available to defendants in criminal cases secret FBI reports which fur- nish the basis of testimony or dismiss the charges. | Immediately the Justice Depart _ment and the FRI expressed objec- tions. The bill spproved ,by the Sen- ate Judiciary Committee’ would limit disclosure to reports and statements relevant to testimony previously Biv- en by government witnesses; would require the court to review the docu- ments and remove irrelevant That- ters before giving the report to the defendant; would limit the. reports and statements given the defendant to those signed or approved by the wit- ness; and would then give the court the discretion of striking out the testi- mony or declaring « mistrial in the event the goyernment declines to give the defendant the statement or report asked for. =<" ‘The ,bifl as recommended does , SOTe“than “clarity.” It enables the 2 el. ~ tae amen FBI Records Bill Interferes With Basic Right = government “te evade compliance with the Supreme Court decision by ‘per- mitting the court te continue with the case by striking dut the testimony in- volved instead ‘of requiring, ag has been ordered by the decision, the dis~ missal of the case, And it makes am- ple provision for secret testimony te be withheld. 4 The Supreme Court's decision in . the Jencks case is in strict confprmi- ° | ty to the Sixth Amendment, which ing. : cludes among the rights of an accused © person in criminal prosecutions the tight “to be confronted with the wit- nesses against him, ., ." This is a basic right and ought to be zeglously - defended, as the court did in its deci-- sion. No agency of government, in.- cluding the FBI, ought to be privi-~ leged to deny to the accused the re~ ports which furnish the basis of the | testimony ‘against him, whether sign . ed by the witness of not signed. . Both Justice Clark in his dissent O Mr. Holloman. Miss Gandy. Morning Herald Durham, We Ce 7-12-57 Steed Rollins, Editor and Attorney General Brownell in RE; SUPREME COURT eS testimony before the Senate Judictary | Committee seem to have exaggerated | ; the implications of the majority cision. Compliance should present real problem to law enforcement. it | does interfere with the building up of | any company of secret, informers, The - ‘ nation ean well do witheut that group, . NOT we . WL AUG 231957 The Senate should reject the bill which interferes with and restricts unduly the accused fersons. arr Se gf QREKE oe ee ee ee .