Dean Griswold Praises Court

Erwin N. Griswold, dean of the Law School, Monday praised the Supreme Court's recent decisions extending the rights of suspects in criminal cases.

Griswold, speaking at the annual dinner in honor of the judiciary at the American Bar Association Convention in Miami, did not praise any of the Court's decision specifically. Instead he urged his listeners to examine the cases in the light of "the long view of history."

"The time has come for us to bring ourselves up to a new level in the administration of criminal justice in this country, and . . . the Supreme Court is obeying not only the mandate of the Constitution, but also the natural progress of history in taking steps to bring us to a higher level," Griswold said.

Police officials have criticized the court's decisions for making pretrial treatment of criminals more difficult. The court has restricted the right of police to interrogate suspects without lawyers, and limited the time a suspect can be questioned before he is arraigned.

Griswold urged the states to join in raising the standards of criminal justice instead of protesting the court's decisions.

He pointed out six areas in which the standards of criminal justice can be improved. First, "and perhaps most important," he suggested improvement of the pre-arraignment and pre-trial conduct of law enforcement agencies, including new codes for the conduct of police.

Griswold also suggested a need for improvement in publicity before and during trials; in ball procedues which have resulted in "a substantial discrimination against the poor"; in pre-trial disclosure of a defendant's case; in use of prior criminal convictions as evidence; and in post-conviction rehearings and appeals.

When remedies for such injustices are provided by the states, Griswold said, "intervention by the federal courts will wither away."