A Legislative Loophole for Petty Offenders

A flaw has been discovered in one of the laws passed by the late legislature of the state of Washington which will in all probability invalidate and render void a part of the law which the legislators had in mind. The act is what is known as the law of cumulative punishment, entitled 'fixing the penalty for persons convicted of a second and third time for felony.' The law was destined to give the courts authority to add extra punishment to criminals who were found guilty of larceny when proof of their previous conviction could be produced. But, the lawmakers neglected to state in the title of the bill that misdemeanors were included as well as felonies. The defect was called to the attention of the state lawmakers by Walter S. Fulton, a prominent young attorney of Seattle, and for the last two terms prosecuting attorney of King County. He noted that the city is full of small offenders who steal articles of little value, serve short terms, and are re-arrested in a few days. It is too bad that the law was allowed to pass in its present form.