Evening journal., 1914-01-02
JUDGE ASKS
FOR SALARY
Also Wants Deputy City Sol
lCitOr q Prosecutor in
"KiddIeS" Court
COUNCIL TO HEAR
LETTER ON SATURDAY

When City Council couvenes ON Sat.
urday night it rs likely that a
communication received from Judge
James W. Lattomus OF the Juvenile
Court, asking that the deputy city sol
icitor be made prosecuting officer OF
the Juvenile Court viii be acted upon.
In this respect Judge lattomus asks
that the proposed increase in salary for
the assistant city solicitor be made large
enough to enable him to act in con-
junction with the Juvenile Court. Judge
Lattomus also requests that Council pro
vide a compensation for the judge of the
Juvenile Court. who at present does not
receive any pay for his services The
letter sent TO Council by Judge Latto-
mus reads as follows:
The Council of The Mayor and Coun-
ell OF Wilmington, Wilmington, Del
Gentlemen: I'm increasing the salary
OF the deputy city solicitor, ! hope you
win make it substantial enough TO iusti-
iy your passing am ordinance making
the city solicitor the prosecuting officer
OF the Juvenile Court There is no pros.
ccuting officer provided for the Juvenile
Court, and in the absence of such ofli-
Ger the chief probation officer or the
Judge has had 10 act in that capacity
which is wholly Incompatible with their
positions.
As the Juvenile Court has irisdic-
tion, according 10 a ruling of the Mu-
nicipal Court in cases against boys
under is and girls under 10 years of age,
I it viii be seen that very large percent
ago of the population OF the city comes
under its jurisdiction To date total
/ of 747 defendants have been tried in the
Juvenile Court while the cases of 1888
Others were settled out of court, making
total Of 1850
Under the most favorable circum-
stances it takes considerable time 60 dis
lpOse of these eases. for in addition to the
particular oifense the past conduct and
the home conditions of the child ar,
looked into before final disposition OF the
case is made.
About 40 per cent. of the defendants
who come into court nrc placed ON pro
bation. and with them the work of TN,
court has only begun.
The Judge receives and examines then
reports each month and until few
months ago had them divided int,
,classes and met each class once month
This ] was obliged to discontinue be
cause / could not afford TO donate 81
much of my time TO the work.
As | receive no salary for my services
/ think YOU should tighten our work a.
much as possible by providing prose
cutting officer for the court. and as tn
cases against Juveniles were iormcrl
prosecuted by the city solicitor in tn
Municipal Court. 81 would seem that h
IS the logical officer 20 prosecute then
in thc Juvenile Court
Your action in increasing the sal
aries OF the municipal Judge and IN
deputy city solicitor meets with m
, hearty approval, for the high plan
T, on which they have placed the couI
deserves recognition. but while 20
j. are increasing their salaries it woul
. seem only an act of simple justic
that you provide commensurate
!. compensation for the work of th
Judge of the Juvenile Court, who ha
donated his services to the city fo
. two years and a half. Commencin
r with the first of November the Lev
Court has been making MS an ALLOW
ance for Office expenses and as I'll
Juvenile Court law provides that ti
ItNDtnntn OF INT iOuiA IN NNAh' AAri
or less jointly by the City Counc
and the Levy Court sou could ais
make an allowance. You have Il
same authority to do this as you ha'
to make the city solicitor an ALLOW
a ance for his Office rent and other e
u penses.
We would also like to call your .
tention to the bill for 500 which y
sent you a few months ago, ana
n which you have not taken action. If
?, bill is for work done towards getti
ic the court in running order We h
~ never had any Juvenile Court befo
G and it fell to the lot of the first lud
q to prepare all the legal forms nec'
~ sary for it's operation. To do this
~ had TO make a careful study OF
\. Juvenile Court law and to eXami
y the forms used by the Juvenile Coul
y. of other States Right at the beg
ming of my term ! devoted about
,e month of my time almost exclusive
pd to the work of the court. Compai
ed with the fees usually paid attorne
and with the salary of the city
m. licitor, the above bill is a very mod'
n. one for the amount of work done.
nu
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