The Washington times., 1917-02-08
ACTION ON JUVENILE
COURT BILL URGED
Friends of Measure Fear 1t Will
Fail to Pass at This
Session.
COURT NOW RESTRICTED
Proposed Law Drawn by Com
mittee of Experts to Bet
ter System.
COURT NOW RESTRICTED

Friends of the Juvenile court OF
the District are making every effort
to have the Senate act on the meas
ure now ON the Senate calendar which
will effect marked changes in the
code governing the operation Of that
court.
Having passed the House. and been
reported favorably to the Senate, the
bill which Judge J. Wilmer Latimer
and scores of social service workers
have been urging for two years, now
faces being showed under by con-
sideration of national measures. Many
doubt whether the Senate can give
time to its consideration at this ses-
sion
Defects In Present Law.
while there are many glaring de-
fects in the present law" said Judge
Latimer today. (which the pending
bill will correct, there are two very
serious ones.
The Juvenile Court has jurisdic-
ton only of petty offenses-namely,
those not punishable by imprison-
ment in the penitentiary. Therefore.
a very large percentage of children's
offenses-and those most serious-go
wholly unpunishable because OF the
very natural indisposition of grand
juries and criminal court judges 10
permit them to come TO trial in these
courts.
GrOwn-Ups Go Unpunished.
Under the present law it is prac-
tically impossible to secure convic-
tion of persons who aid, abet or con-
and result is that the efforts of those
who are endeavoring to save the chill
dren of the District are many times
frustrated because it is known that
persons may with impunity assist and
even compel them to viola te the law.
These defects present. it seems to
me, very urgent reasons why, after
the bill has been reported out of COM
mittee in the House, had two devoted
TO its consideration by and passed the
House, been favorably reported by
the Senate committee and is on the
Senate calendar for passage, should
not be allowed to die with this Con-
gress."
Framed By Committee.
The bill virtually is the one framed
by a committee of five, appointed by
the sttoryney general OF the United
States, made up of Bernard FIexner,
chairman; William H. Baldwin, the
Rev. DR.. William ]. Kerby, of Catho-
lie University; Walter. c. Clephane
and Miss Julia Lathrop.
Its principal features provide:
That no record of conviction in the
Juvenile Court shall henceforth oper-
ate against a boy, when he becomes
OF age, in depriving him of the right
to serve on juries, to be employed
by the government, or to exercise
the fullest rights of citizenship.
That all offenses OF minors shall
be tried in the Juvenile Court. AT
present the Juvenile Court had juris-
diction only over those cases in which
the punishment would be for a period
Of year or less, thus confining the
courts activities to the same field
that the Police Court occupies in the
case of adults.
Provision II Needed.
Already a law has been passed can
ceiling the effect of earlier convictions
in the Juvenile Court. but the provi-
sion in the present bill is needed, il
Is stated, to perpetuate this eXemp-
tion. Great hardship has been work
ed toward many worthy young men
who found that their court records
ior minor offenses when children,
handicapped their full exercise of citi-
zenship rights later in life.
The broadening of the scope OF the
Juvenile Courts work to include all
minors is considered of primary i'm
portance by the hackers OF the meas
ure. 1t is pointed out that many of
the youths who now do not come un-
der the courts jurisdiction needs its
aid, extended through probation Off