Evening star., 1926-03-12
CH|LDREN'S COURT
CHANGEPROPOSED
Judge De Lacy Would Make
1t Branch of District
Supreme Bench.

Proposal that children's court be
established as one branch of the Dis
trict Supreme Court and that all
| judges should be under a chief justice
who would assign them to whatever
court had business. and in tE:a way
| prevent congestion. received serious
consideration from the judiciary sub
committee of the House District com
mittee today.
William II. De Lacy, who served as
juvenile court judge by appointment
of President Roosevelt. was the prin-
cipal witness at the hearing on the
Zihlman and Underhill juvenile court
measures. Broadly speaking. en-
larged jurisdiction for the juvenile
court is sought.
Judge De Lacy recommended that
the committee postpone its hearings
in view of the fact that the District
Commissioners are reconsidering the
bill which was introduced at their re-
quest, and have asked that the House
committee defer action until the Com
missioners have made recommends
tionS.
Supports Judge DE Lacy.
Mrs. Louis Gutenberg, representing
the Monday Evening Club, supported
y
There was a large attendance IN the
caucus room Of the House Office Build
ing for the Juvenile Court hearing.
including a personal representative or
Archbishop Curley and a group OF
prominent Washington attorneys VINO
are to appear for the Catholic charl-
ties.
The hearings will be resumed. sub
ject to the call of Chairman Mcleod,
not earlier than Friday of next week.
Judge De Lacy advocated that the
Supreme Court of the District should
have jurisdiction over juvenile cases
because the judges on that bench are
men of the highest training and eX.
perience, better fitted as teachers and
for the most part with scientific
knowledge. He argued that the child
should have the highest type Of justice
and said that the right of the child
and it's proper care during the tender
years should be above all the gold in
the Treasury.
Hammer Offers Change.
Representative Hammer, Democrat.
North Carolina, agreed that the child
should come under the highest type Of
judicial protection and guidance, but
that 1t should be through special selec-
ton Of men to serve as judges of the
Juvenile Court and should not be al
lowed to hamper the Supreme Court
in administration of Justice in impor-
tant criminal cases.
Judge De Lacy told the committee
that it is the greatest mistake in this
country that we pay too little atten-
ton to the character of jurists who go
on the bench in courts of the first in
stance" and that is largely why the
docketS of the higher courts are con-
gested.
Representative Blanton, Democrat.
OF Texas argued that the judiciary
committee. which now has several
bills regarding the District Juvenile
Court before it. ought to consider also
the Zihlman and Underhill bills.
Mr.. Blanton. who had not been pres
ent when Judge De Lacy made his
recommendations, of his own initiative
spoke in favor of putting juvenile
cases under the Supreme Court
Urges Parole Law.
Judge De Lacy also advocated a
parole law in the District. carrying
out the recommendations of the Penal
Commission, appointed in 1908. which
was responsible for the establishment
of the reformatory at Lorton and the
workhouse at OccoQuan.
Chairman Mcleod spoke in favor
of increasing the age for offenders
under Juvenile Court from II to 90
years. Judge De Lacy explained that
there is not enough differentiation
and that an adolescent court for those
above IA years might well be estab-
lished in order to determine whether
education might not take the place of
corrective measure, and insisted that
the essential need is for the highest
type of teachers.
Both Judge De Lacy and Mr.. Blan-
ton spoke in favor of District suf-
frage, allowing the people to elect
Commissioners, judges, school board
and send up measures, approved by
a common council. to be acted upon
by Congress.
Mrs Gutenberg. when she was ex-
planning the Zihlman bill, was inter-
rupted by Mr.. Houston and Mr.. Blan-
ton, who vigorously stated that they
are opposed to the Juvenile Court
having jurisdiction in capital offenses.
When the word "voteless" was used
in connection with the title of one of
these organizations. Mr.. Blanton put
into the record statement that about
so per cent Of the people in Washing
ton do vote by retaining voting resi-
dence in other States, and estimated
that about 20 per cent of the Govern
ment employees maintain their voting
rights.