Police Must Testify Without Extra Pay
Walla Walla police officers face a new reality as the County Attorney rules they cannot collect witness fees for routine court appearances.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
According to an opinion rendered by County Attorney Wilson this morning, the police officers of Walla Walla, when testifying in the justice court, will receive no fees for such service. During the present session of the board of county commissioners, the justice of the peace filed numerous cost bills in cases of the state against persons who had violated the laws, in which several of the police were named as witnesses. When the bills came up for action, the board of county commissioners, acting under the law passed by the last legislature, decided the police were not entitled to receive pay. County Attorney Wilson affirmed the decision: 'No employee of the city or county of Walla Walla who receives a fixed compensation can under any circumstances claim witness fees for testifying in a justice court on behalf of the state of Washington or any municipality therein.' The police officers of Walla Walla feel that the new law discriminates against them and it has been hinted that the matter may be carried to the supreme court.
“The police officers of Walla Walla feel that the new law discriminates against them and are of the opinion that it is an injustice to deprive them of fees.”
Public sector labor disputes often center on what duties are included in a fixed salary versus what qualifies as billable 'overtime' or 'extra service.' This 1903 conflict highlights the long-standing friction between local law enforcement and the bureaucratic constraints of municipal budgets.
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