The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-02-17
Juvenile LAW
JUDGE MEDIN OF SIOUN FALLS
PREPARES AN IDEAL BILL.

sioux rails, FEB 11.-An ideal
juvenile law for South Dakota. cov-
ering all features of the work for de-
linquent and neglected children, is
the purpose of Judge Medin of the
county court, whose recently drafted
bill has been introduced in the legis-
lature.
1t embodies many changes in the
existing juvenile law and adds fea-
lures which experienced in the juve-
nile court in this city and in other
cities has shown to be necessary. The
act also repeats all former laws and
presents in concise form all laws in
South Dakota relating to children
charged with misdemeanors and i'm
morality and those found TO be neg
lected or abused.
The great increase in this city and
handicaps of the present law caused
Judge Medin TO make a careful study
of juvenile legislation so that he
could better carry out the work
among the delinquent and neglected
children brought to his court. The
work of the juvenile court in this city
has grown rapidly in the last few
years and il has accomplished much
good in placing children in the prop
err environment and under super
vision.
Many new features are based upon
the Illinois law, which Judge Medin
has studied carefully. He has also
seen it in operation in Chicago and
has conferred with juvenile authori-
ties there regarding it.
No child under Is years of age IA
be placed in a Jail or lookup in South
Dakota. if the bill becomes a law.
and il is optional with the court
whether or not children between the
ages of Is and Is years, charged with
violating the law, shall be placed in
Jail. Children charged with crimes
and misdemeanors under this act
may be placed in the custody of the
sheriff, probation officer or other per
sons, and in counties having a pop
ulation of over $4,000, detention
homes must be provided for the care
of children taken into custody for
law violation, pending the disposition
of their eases. This provision guards
against the placing of children to-
gether with adult criminals in the
county jails and seeks to keep them
under the best possible influences.
Coupled with this is the provision.
taken from the present law. prohibit
ing newspapers from publishing the
names of children arrested under the
juvenile law.
To keep the children from feeling
the disgrace of a public arrest by a
sheriff or policeman the law provides
that parents or guardians of delin-
quent children shall bring them into
court or be subject to punishment
for contempt of court. Probation Of
fcers may also taken children into
court and have the power to make ar
rests if necessary.
Children found 10 be delinquent,
neglected or dependent may be taken
from the parents or guardians by the
court and placed in institutions
where they can receive the proper
care or with guardians appointed by
the court, but if the parents OF guard
ians can later produce evidence to
show that they are prepared to give
the children proper care the court
may restore the children TO them.
subject TO restrictions.
While probation officers to serve
without pay may be appointed, the
court may also appoint officers 10
serve for pay. the compensation 10
be provided by the county commits
sioners.
Children cannot be sen into the
state for adoption by associations or
organizations unless there organiZa-
tions deposit bonds for $4,000 each
in the counties where the children
are left to guarantee the absence of
contagious or infectious diseases and
are of sound minds and bodies.
Children may however be adopted
by relatives without the requirement
of a bond.
The law goes into detail regarding
all proceedings in Juvenile cases and
is declared by attorneys who have
inspected il to be an almost ideal jul
venile act.