The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
The Lawmakers - April 12, 1984
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Cokie Roberts in studio begins report on crime laws in Congress, a highly charged issue, partisan splits, difficulties in reaching political consensus on crime legislation.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Police detectives entering a home, cop cars, lights flashing. Washington DC Police blocking a crime scene at night.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Senator Joseph Biden (D - Delaware) It s an issue that we have refused to deal with. The conservatives deal with it in terms of literally abrograting the Bill of Rights. And the liberals have said, let s not deal with it unless we deal with the causes of crime. When folks like me have been saying look, you ve got to do something in the meantime. We ve gotten that through the Senate.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Flipping through pages of the bill. Voiceover discusses the bill.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
External shot of United States Capitol building.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Assistant Attorney General Steven Trott says, And I think if the people over there in the House take a look at these bills, they will understand that they are not un-Constitutional. They are not some Draconian measure that will deprive people of Civil Rights. They are measured responses to specific problems, clearly Constitutional, balanced in an approach and will be fairly used by the Federal judges in this country.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Prisoners crossing parking lot moving toward old brick prison building. Cell door sliding open.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
DO NOT USE Prisoner using mirror to look down cell block corridor.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Prisoner looking through tiny window of jail cell door.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Over a graphic, voiceover summarizes provisions of bill, more than 40 changes in arrest, detention, and punishment.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
House Committee, staff, TV cameras, in meeting to deliberate on bill. Voiceover says most parts of bill will never see light of day. Representative Harold Sawyer (R - Michigan) The Chairman of the Criminal Justice Sub-Committee, happens to be John Conyers of Michigan. John s principal interest in life are police brutality, violence in sports and corporate crime. And virtually noting else ever moves out of his committee. It s sort of repository for bills that don t want to be moved.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Assistant Attorney General Steven Trott, I don t know what we re going to do about John Conyers. I d like to talk to John Conyers. I d like to believe everybody up there is a person of Good Will. And I would hope that people, after they study the problem, will see the wisdom of the initiatives that we have up there.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
DO NOT USE Still photo of John Conyers, who declined comment. Cokie Roberts summarizes a letter from Conyers expressing his dissent with the bill.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Representative Robert Kastenmeier (D - Wisconsin) discusses the differences on crime policy that different people have. Not every member views crime and crime problems the same way. They see it from different communities and they see it from different perspectives. One has to remember that John Conyers and his critics do not share the same ideology or response with respect to crime. They view it somewhat differently.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
CU of sign Committee of Judiciary . Committee members in hearing.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Representative William Hughes (D - New Jersey) You see the Senate has developed their agenda. They talk about big ticket items and they have an omnibus bill. Well, we have individual bills that comprise, basically a package which happens to be our agenda on the House side. I happen to believe that many of the bills that we ve passed individually are just as important as some of the bills, most of the bills in that omnibus package.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Senate Committee members in hearing.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Senator Joseph Biden (D - Delaware) I believe if the Democrats and the Judiciary Committee are unwilling to move on at least the major portions of the package, it will not bode well for my party, nor will it bode well for what is a crying need to deal with major violent crime questions.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Ronald Reagan addressing an audience.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Assistant Attorney General Steven Trott, People have a right to expect and government has an obligation to deliver a level of protection that will enable them to feel safe in their communities.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
DO NOT USE African American man being put in police car by cops. (arrest)
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
Four tiered prison cell block.
The Lawmakers April 12, 1984
DO NOT USE Prisoners smoking, standing, talking to visitors at long table under watch of guards.