Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-28
The Need LOCALIZED Of Juvenile Court

~ tue EutoF W ne TVeHiHR
A letter In your issue of yesterday, Octo-
Der q. 1903 signed by one of the honorable
judges of the Police Court. makes cor
rectien of Haisquoted address given at the
banquet of the Hungry Club, October %.
This correction has been in contemplation
by the undersigned since it's inaccuracies
had been pointed out, but pressing duties
affecting the immediate welfare of children
before this court has made 1t tardy Such
correction, however had been written be-
fore the knowledge of the letter referred to,
and would have appeared in today's issue of
The Star. 1t was not in the thought nor
the purpose of the speaker to crtic:se the
honorable judges of this court in their add
ministration of its affairs-that belongs to
these who are responsible for their tenure
of Office. if such grounds for criticism
should exist. What the speaker did intend
to bring before the assembly was the sys-
tenn under which this court is operated,
handicapped by conditions which men, not
more than mortal cannot ameliorate. The
probation officer has on several occasions
taken the liberty to commend the honorable
judges on the decisions rendered in cases,
and SO far as known there exists the most
kindly feeling between them. The writer
wishes to hereby emphaticalfy disclaim any
intention of personal criticism injury in
the least to any one.
With him it was the need of the child
and so intent was he upon 1t that all other
contingencies were lost sight of. The pro-
batiCn officer has always spoken in the
highest terms of the presiding judges, and
the court officials generally, and expects to
continue to do So but this does not change
the fact that the burden of the Juvenile
court should be lifted from their already
over-b urdened shoulders.
AS for the admission of youthful pris-
onerS into open dock the honorable Judge
is right, 1t relates to the upper room of
the police court. When juvenile court meets
in this room the young offenders are placed
in the jury room. unless it is held by
jury, and when they are wanted are adj
mitted their cases called. After trial
they are again returned to this little room.
Down stairs it is impossible to do this be-
cause there is no such room available
they must take the open court, with all it's
nauseating details.
Now it would seem in simple justice 70
all parties interested that verbatim
count of just what was said in the address
should be given. and it herewith follows:
This court. under the conditions which it
is operated. meets every reasonable
expectation. Whatever defects may exist
may be subsequently referred to as the
fault of the system. 1t is not hard to I'M
derStand how after the weary grind of
hours of adult court that the atmosphere in
the juvenile has undergone no change. Its
influence is everywhere noticeable. So
strong has this been that on several occa-
sions cases have been sentenced to the
workhouse or fined s. or fifteen days. OF
course, sentence was changed soon as
attention was called to the TACT of differ
ent court. There are indications that cry
out against the system The court is before
a juvenile court in name only The system
under which it is operated has robbed him
of it's intended benefits Then, too it has
no certain time for hearing. 'Tis true 1T is
supposed to meet at u noon, but 1t never
does unless the adult court is out of the
way by that time. These delays are fire.
quent perpleXing and -demoraliZing. A
diary account of may be interesting:
June TO- 1903. Juvenile Court deferred to-
day from II to o'clock because of congest-
ed conditions of adult court. At l O'clock
an effort was made to have the children's
cases disposed of. but this was denied and
the court was again deferred pending the
disposition of complex case requiring
some two hours. The condition of the chill
dren during this time was piteOus. being
kept in little stuffy side room; the parents
stood in the hall. and were scowled at by
various functionaries. The air of the room
was reeking with odors and suffocating in
effects"
Waiting for papers in cases is another
veXatious and annoying condition which
belongs to the error of lacking the juvenile
on to the adult court. Open dock for all
offenders to see and hear the cases consti-
tute an evil that should be remedied with
out delay.
'The court records under the system are
worthless as far as establishing a record
is concerned. Neither age color nor resi-
dence are given Just how this may re-
suit with irreparable harm to some one is
illustrated by the fact that three boys by
the same name are now on proba ton. The
ia ult seems to be too much work and too
few to do it all along the line.
LAS for personale of the court generally
none more kindly, conscientious and gen
tlemanly could be found anywhere. They
are an honor to themselves and the lofty
cause which they maintain.
It seems the prevailing opinion. as ex-
pressed at the meeting above referred to,
and of the friends of the Juvenile Court
generally. that the influence and the pos
sibilities of this court are of such i'm
portance that 1t should have an existence
de jure. The court as it now exists is
only an arrangement by mutual consent.
No powers are expressly delegated to it.
and it's entire function. carried on. is
by common understanding between indi-
viduals who now happen to hold Office.
A change in officials might cause a
sudden reversion to the former method of
trying juvenile offenders. 1t is to remove
such contingency from the realm of pos
sibility that the friends of the court con-
tend that it should be put on a firm
basis of legal existence.
ZED H. COPP.