Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-01
FOR JUVENILE COURT
Draft of Bill for a Separate
Tribunal.
BENEFIT OF YOUTH
PERSONS OF SEVENTEEN YEARS
OF AGE Or UNDER.
Provision for Appeals Direct to SUI
preme Court Of the District
The Jurisdiction.
BENEFIT OF YOUTH

commissioner Mcfarland today submit
ted to the board of Commissioners the
draft of a bill providing for the establish
ment in the District of separate juvenile
court, which he has prepared after care
fully considering the laws Of other juris-
dictions relating to the subject, and after
consultation with persons well informed
with respect to courts for the hearing Of
cases against juvenile offenders. The bill
will shortly be sent to Congress by the
Commissioners, with the recommendation
for it's early enactment.
Until two years ago juvenile offenders in
the District were brought into the Police
Court along with the adult offenders, and
the cases against the children were heard
In the regular session Of the Police Court.
This method of procedure was regarded as
not only unsatisfactory, but injurious to
the children, and at the request Of Com
missioner Mcfarland the two judges of
the Police Court two years ago consented
to hold on certain days an afternoon ses-
sion of the court for the trial of cases
against children.
It Is considered that the two Police Court
judges now have enough to do in their reg
ular sessions, and 1t is also believed that
the whole day should be devoted to the
trial of juvenile cases in separate court
presided over by a judge appointed because
of his special qualifications in such cases.
The proposed draft is to carry out the
recommendation of the special report of
the Commissioners to Congress January G.,
1904, on the future care of delinquent and
dependent children in the District of Co.
lumbia.
The Law of 1899.
The first juvenile court law went into eff
feet July 1, 1899, in Chicago. Wisconsin
passed a Juvenile court law in 1900. New
York next passed similar measure for
Buffalo. Baltimore took up the question,
and the Maryland legislature passed law
for It, Ohio in 1902 adopted a juvenile
court law for the city of Cleveland. In adj
dition to the states mentioned above, the
following states have authorized Juvenile
courts In some form: Missouri, Kansas,
California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, In
diana, Connecticut, Minnesota, Louisiana
and Delaware.
The proposed bill provides that the judge
of the juvenile court shall be appointed by
the President and confirmed by the Senate
for a term Of six years. or until his sue
cessor is appointed and confirmed; that he
shall be learned in law, shall have resided
in the District for the continuous period of
at least five years Immediately preceding
his appointment. and shall be at least forty
years Of age. The salary of the judge is
fixed at 5000 a year, and he shall be en-
titled to thirty days leave of absence each
year. In case of absence, disability or
death of the Judge provision Is made for the
Supreme Court to appoint any one of the
justices of the peace to act as judge Of the
Juvenile court. the acting judge to receive
So day in addition to his regular salary
for such services.
The Juvenile court shall be empowered to
appoint two discreet persons of good char
acter. one male and one female, proba-
ton officers. One Of these persons shall be
designated the chief probation officer,
and shall receive salary of $1,000 year.
and the other person shall lie known as as
sistant probation officer and shall receive
annual salary of $500.
,~t 81. T.,
ole any juvenile offender under the age of
seventeen years for the period of six
months or less, such paroled child to re-
main under the Jurisdiction of the court
and be subject to such reasonable rules and
regulations as may be prescribed.
| Section provides that the court shall
have power to appoint clerk at salary
| Of $1,000 a year, who shall hold his office
| during the pleasure of the court.
Jurisdiction of the Court.
With regard to the jurisdiction Of the
court the bill provides as follows:
1.-THE Juvenile Court Of the District Of Co.
| lumbia shall have original and exclusive
| jurisdiction of all crimes and offenses of
persons under seventeen years of age here
| after committed against the United States,
not capital or otherwise Infamous and not
| punishable by Imprisonment in the peni-
tertiary, committed within the District of
| Columbia, except libel conspiracy and
violations of the post Office and pension
laws of the United States. and also Of all
offenseS of persons under seventeen years
OF age hereafter committed against the
laws. ordinances and regula tons of the Dis
| trict of Columbia. and shall have power to
| examine and commit or hold to bail all
persons under seventeen years of age either
| for trial or further examination in all cases
whether cognizable therein or In the Su-
preme Court Of the District of Colum bia.
Said Juvenile Court shall have all the pow
ayI md fIIriS lott inf h,yf ha NJ
entitled An act for the protection Of chill
| dren, &C. approved February IS, 1885,
upon the Police Court of the District of CO.
lumbia. and shall also have original and
exclusive jurisdiction of all cases involving
the custody, guardianship. support or legal
punishment of children under the provisions
| o. An act to provide for the care of de-
pendent children in the District of Column
bia and to create a board of children
guardians approved July 20, 1892, and of
the acts amendatory thereof: also OF all
cases under the provisions of An act to
enlarge the powers Of the courts of the
District of Columbia in cases involving de-
lnauent children and for other purposes.
approved March 3, 1901, and said Juvenile
Court may hereafter concurrently with the
Criminal Court. have and exercise all the
powers and jurisdiction conferred by said
last mentioned act upon the Police Court
of the District of Columbia in the case of
parents or guardians who shall refuse or
neglect to provide food, clothing and shell
years; and of all cases of dependent or de-
linQuent children cognizable under existing
laws in any court of the District of Column
bia except in the cases hereinbefore already
excepted: and the said Juvenile Court may
also hear, try and determine all cases of
persons less than seventeen years of age
charged with habitual truancy from school,
and in his discretion to commit them to the
board of children's guardians, who are
hereby given the care and supervision
thereof when committed.
The Age Limit.
mo person under seventeen years of age
shall hereafter be placed in any institution
supported wholly or in part at the public
expense until the fact of delinquency or
dependency has been first ascertained and
declared by the juvenile court. All children
of the class now liable to be committed to
the reform school for boys and the reform
school for girls shall hereafter be COM
mtted by lie juvenile court. All other
children delinquent. neglected or dependent
with the exceptions hereinbefore stated
shall hereafter be committed by the juvenile
court to the care of the Board of Children's
Guardians, either for limited period on
probation or during minority, as circum-
stances may require; and no child once COM