NEWS CONFERENCE 921

by not doing these precautionary things such as frisking a person for
weapons, and I agree with the Attorney General's conclusions on that.

(Judicial Decisions)

Q. May I pursue that just a bit further, Governor? This morning
Commissioner Pomerleau, after they had taken three pretty good
suspects in the recent bank holdups in the City of Baltimore, com-
mented he hoped the judicial procedure would proceed more smooth-
ly than it has. And he pointed out that those who have been taken
into custody have been free on bail on other holdups and one in
particular on a murder charge. Now you have the responsibility of
appointing judges in this State. Do you feel that they have taken too
soft a tone in this respect?

A. I don't want to seem to be avoiding this question, but I hon-
estly believe that it is impossible for me to sit here in Annapolis and
decide whether or not a judge has made a proper decision in releasing
or refusing to release an individual who is accused of a crime when
I haven't seen the record of the case, I haven't seen the investigations
— pre-sentencing investigation — and I have really no knowledge on
which to predicate a judgment. I don't think you can lump these
judgments into a general decision any more than I think you could
apply them across the board to all the judges. So I have to avoid
that on the basis that anything that I say would be an oversimplifica-
tion. You have to leave it to the judge's common sense. I try to ap-
point the most capable, qualified judges I can find. I don't go out-
side the Bar Association lists, and that's the best I can do in appoint-
ing judges.

(Judicial Appointments)

Q. Along that same line, Governor, you have some judgeship ap-
pointments coming up. When do you intend to make them?

A. Well, I would doubt that the new judges that are up for appoint-
ment will be assuming their duties before September 1, but the date
of the announcement I haven't decided yet. And I haven't decided
either whether I am going to fill all of the four new vacancies, even,
effective at that time. Two of them may go over until the first of
next year because of the financial problem facing this State.

(Capital Improvement/Mental Hospitals)

Q. Governor, in view of the still troublesome financial situation is
there likely to be any sharp cutdown in capital improvement pro-
posals at the next session of the Legislature?