Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 66.djvu/54

 PUBLIC LAW 2 6 0 - F E B. 20, 1952

Appropriation.

Dangerous weapons, D. C.

47 Stat. 650.

"Dangerous article."

Unlawful p o s s e s sion, etc. Discovery by pol i c e officer.

Claim for p o s s e s sion.

Appeal.

Disposition of dangerous article.

ST AT,

and storage purposes, and for general monument uses in connection with the National monuments of the Southwest, the property near Globe, Arizona, known as the Gila Pueblo. For such acquisition, and expenses incidental thereto, there is authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $75,000. Approved February 12, 1952.

Public Law 260 February 20, 1952 [S. 493]

[66

CHAPTER 47

AN ACT To require the taking and destruction of dangerous weapons in certain cases, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act entitled "An Act to control the possession, sale, transfer, and use of pistols and other dangerous weapons in the District of Columbia, to provide penalties, to prescribe rules of evidence, and for other purposes"', approved July 8, 1932 (D. C. Code, 1940 edition, secs. 22-3201 to 22-3216), is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section: "SEC. 18. (a) As used in this section, the term 'dangerous article' means (1) any weapon such as a pistol, machine gun, sawed-off shotgun, blackjack, slingshot, sandbag, or metal knuckles, or (2) any instrument, attachment, or appliance for causing the firing of any firearms to be silent or intended to lessen or muffle the noise of the firing of any firearms. " (b) A dangerous article unlawfully owned, possessed, or carried is hereby declared to be a nuisance. " (c) When a police officer, in the course of a lawful arrest or lawful search, discovers a dangerous article which he reasonably believes is a nuisance under subsection (b) he shall take it into his possession and surrender it to the property clerk of the Metropolitan Police Department. " (d)(1) Within thirty days after the date of such surrender, any person may file in the office of the property clerk of the Metropolitan Police Department a written claim for possession of such dangerous article. Upon the expiration of such period, the property clerk shall notify each such claimant, by registered mail addressed to the address shown on the claim, of the time and place of a hearing to determine which claimant, if any, is entitled to possession of such dangerous article. Such hearing shall be held within sixty days after the date of such surrender. "(2) A t the hearing the property clerk shall hear and receive evidence with respect to the claims filed under paragraph (1). Thereafter he shall determine which claimant, if any, is entitled to possession of such dangerous article and shall reduce his decision to writing. The property clerk shall send a true copy of such written decision to each claimant by registered mail addressed to the last known address of such claimant. "(3) Any claimant may, within thirty days after the day on which the copy of such decision was mailed to such claimant, file an appeal in the municipal court for the District of Columbia. If the claimant files an appeal, he shall at the same time give written notice thereof to the property clerk. If the decision of the property clerk is so appealed, the property clerk shall not dispose of the dangerous article while such appeal is pending and, if the final judgment is entered by such court, he shall dispose of such dangerous article in accordance with the

�