Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. DECKER. Most prisoners taken in custody by the city police are
arrested within the corporate limits of the city of Dallas and they in
turn are moved to the city jail, which is located at the corner of Main
and Harwood, or better still, in the 2000 block of Main Street, and
there confined until their period of investigation is completed.
Mr. HUBERT. How long is that?
Mr. DECKER. Well, now, that's a problem I couldn't--there would be no
way to answer that--how long does it take to make some investigation?
Mr. HUBERT. What I had in mind was whether there was any rule,
regulation, or law?
Mr. DECKER. No; someone said once you couldn't hold them over 24 or 36
hours, but where it is, I don't know. The city ordinance under which
most municipalities work is--they have a right to arrest and hold for
investigation until they could determine if a crime has been committed.
That leaves it pretty blank.
Mr. HUBERT. All right. Now, let's assume that a man has been formally
charged and that there has been a capias or warrant----
Mr. DECKER. It's a warrant in this case.
Mr. HUBERT. Of arrest, which authorizes you to arrest the particular
prisoner?
Mr. DECKER. I or one of the constables.
Mr. HUBERT. What is your custom--are there any rules or regulations or
laws?
Mr. DECKER. No; there's no rules or regulations--only this--when a
warrant is issued--when a complaint is filed with my district attorney
or the magistrate, which is the justice of the peace, the warrant
is issued and delivered to the agency. If it is a felony and in the
justice court, it goes to the constable, which this offense we are
speaking about was a felony and should have gone to David Johnston,
justice of the peace, precinct 2, and the warrants were delivered to
the city police.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, you are talking about the charge with respect to
Tippit, are you, or the death of the President, or both?
Mr. DECKER. Well, I rather think it was both.
Mr. HUBERT. The warrants then were not put into your possession at all?
Mr. DECKER. No, sir; not at that time.
Mr. HUBERT. And that is in accordance with the custom, too?
Mr. DECKER. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. What would normally happen in circumstances such as we are
dealing with here, where warrants were issued about 7 o'clock in one
case, as to Tippit, and a little later about 11 o'clock on the 22d of
November, as to the death of the President, what would be the normal
situation as to your getting control and custody and your becoming the
keeper of these prisoners?
Mr. DECKER. The whole thing would be that if we, if those warrants had
come through the regular channels to us, we would have contacted--I
imagine we would have contacted Captain Fritz because it was a homicide
and that is in his division, and asked him about the prisoner and
discussed with him if he was ready for transfer--if he was going to
transfer or did he want us to transfer. That would have been the normal
procedure with us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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