Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-13
Daily Sessions Regarded as
Necessary.
MAJ. SYLVESTER'S VIEW
REQUESTS SENT TO JUDGES OF
POLICE COURT.
Commissioner Mcfarland Gives Rea-
sons for Change-Separate and Dis
tinct Tribunal Favored.
'arland Gives Rea-

The District Commissioners will ask the
judges of the Police Court to resume the
daily sessions of the Juvenile court. A re-
port from Major Richard Sylvester. super
intendent of police. shows that youthful
offenders are now confined In the house OF
detention for several days at time await
Ing trial The holding Of the juvenile term
is a matter of courtesy to the District au-
thorities on the part of the Police Court
judges, as Congress failed to provide for
regularly constituted juvenile tribunal.
After observing the effect Of holding
juvenile court tri-weekly,' says Major Syl-
vester in a report to Commissioner Macfar-
land. II am of the opinion that the public
interests would be best subserved If the
children held at the house OF detention as
prisoners could be given more speedy trials.
which would result in shorter sessions of
the court being held by reason of the more
frequent holding thereof, and bring about
that effect on the children which Is most
desira ble-a brief detention prior to the de-
termdna ton as to their guilt on charges.
For example. l most respectfully beg
leave to recite that three children under
sixteen years of age were held a the house
of detention from between 30 o'clock p. m,
July 3D. and 1A4 a.m.,. August /, until Au-
gust at noon. There are some older juve-
niles who would no doubt be better off by
being detained at the house of detention in
this wise, but to most of them 1t is an ex-
perience which is harsh and implants a
feeling ever to be remembered. In addition
to this the expense incurred Is far greater
In the course of year than If speedy trials
were given those taken to this institution
which is assured to all grown persons taken
to the station houses. In my opinion the
court should convene daily"
MI. Macfarland's View.
In placing the matter before the District
board and recommending that the Police
Court judges be requested to hold daily
sessions. Commissioner Macfarland says:
Congress having made no provision for a
Juvenile court with special judge and
stan in separate quarters. such has been
established in several of the larger cities of
the country. and the need for separation Of
Juvenile delfnquents from adult criminals
in trials before the Police Court becoming
more and more apparent. took the matter
up with the judges of the Police Court in
1901 with view to having the juvenile de-
hnquents tried in the afternoons when tue
older persons had all gone. The judges we're
very conSiderate and courteous in the mat
ter. and readily agreed to hold special ses-
sions for the trial of the juvenile delin-
quents or those young persons accused as
first offenders.
1t was arranged that the judges would
sit alternately every afternoon for the ,,ur-
poses OF juvenile court, at time when
be free from the presence of olde; persons
whether criminals or spectator and that
the accused young persons taken when ar
rested to the house of detention rather than
to the police station houses should not IN,
brought to the Police Court until the time
when the judge was ready to try them Ac-
cordfngly. on the 18th of January 1902 this
arrangement went into effect. and ever
since then the District has had practically a
juvenile court without any extraordinary
expense.
Resumption Regarded as Necessary.
After some time the judges represented
TO me that it was not necessary to hold
court daily for this special purpose, but that
sessions IN the afternoon of Monday,
Wednesday and Friday would suitably ac-
commodate those who had to be tried and
those interested in them officially or 9TH
erwise. This was assented to by the Off
Gals having to deal with the children i'm
custom. and the sessions were changed ac-
cordingly. 1t now appears from the state
mentS of the major and superintendent of
police. and from facts elected by my own
inquiries. that the daily sessions of the
Juvenile court should be resumed. In view
of the faithful service of the judges in this
relation and of the additional labor which
the resumption of daily sessions will i'm
pose upon them. I move that the Commits
sioners formally thank the judges for what
they have done and formally request them
to resume the daily sessions.
AT the same time l desire to record nv
belief that the District of Columbia should
have separate juvenile court with judge
and staff and quarters of its own and
that Congress should be asked again to es-
tablish it. The increase in the population
a corresponding Increase in the number of
juvenile delinauents and the probation sys-
tenn which has now been successfully estab-
lished. under the board of children's guar
dams. by the authority of Congress. and
which requires special attention from a
juvenile court furnish additional argu-
ments for the creation of such an indie
pendent tribunal"