Evening star., 1928-06-10
TRAFFIC COURT AID
PLANNED AS TEST
Cincinnati Society Finds
Many Cases Are Over Be-
fore Defendant Wakes Up.
Special Dispatch to The Star

Special Dispatch TO The Star
CINCINNATI. June e.---In the Queen
citv-~where you are fined S25 for walk
ing across the street while the red traf-
fic light is on. but where the newest
fiappers skip through the public thor
oughfares in white sailor suits dong,
tight trousers and alll without being
arrested for inciting TO riot--they plan
a new police court experiment. inc
experiment is a public defender, whose
duties will be the opposite OF those of
the public prosecutor.
# this idea is carried out in accord
ence with the advice Of the Legal Aid
Society of the Associated Charities, the
citizen ignorant of police court pro-
cedure viii no longer stand bewlldered
while civil court machinery clankS
meaninglessly about him.
Sometimes" said Assistant Attorney
Sarah E Grogan of the Legal Aid, its
all over before the defendant knows
IT'S begun. If public defender can be
put into action. the defendant will at
any rate know what it's about
Young Lawyers Serve.
Already the Legal Aid-one Of IS
units grouped in community chest
o00,O00 IN contributions has reached
more than the experimental stage with
its two legal internes." What
medical inferno is to hospital, legal
intern is to the courts. Graduate
lawyers, these interncS gain the prac-
tical as well as the purely theoretical
side of the law and at tn" same time
they assist in the trial of cases AS a
branch Of social service, the Legal Ald
handles an average of 200 cases each
month. with a legal clinic" Of law
students from the university 10 helm
with investigation and mechanical
routine, The result is mutual beneht
all around
Meanwhile other branches of the
community chest are swimming along
beautifully with their own experiments.
Not the least of these is the pSyclliatrlc
clinic allied with the Juvenile Court.
The psycliatric clinic is delving into
the causes of crime and the ways to
prevent it,
Resentment is one great cause for
delinquency and crime. The other great
cause is monotony. And third cause
is the lack Of proper meal when the
youngsters come home from school.
This is the considered explanation of
Miss Alice E. Richard, secretary Of the
Associated Charities. to whom come
thousands Of delinquency cases every
year.
Delinquency, as well as crime, is
logical conclusion from twisted prem
Ise," she continued. Not every
criminal has a mental twist by any
means. Delinquency often leading to
crime comes from rather natural re-
sentiment Of other peoples comfort 1t
comes also from the maddening mo-
notony of workaday life which inlpels
its victims TO be spectacular. TO have
their little moment of notoriety at any
cost. One young fellow of 20 had for
IL years stood at machine punching
holes in leather. Finally he went out
and stole motor car.
Wife Desertions.
In wife desertion cases. 1t is my
observation that the fault is $3.50. the
wife as much TO blame usually as the
man. And the fundamental fault is
lack of companionship in marriage.
One or the other, wife or husband,
wants TO be boss. The one who isn't
boss gets tired Of being bossed. The
henpecked man leaves home: the brow
beaten wife makes things so unpleas-
snt that the boSsy man leaves. tno
When things are adjusted 50 that the
marriage is unit, the husband often
Is gao 10 return.
And the really juvenile delinquency
could often be prevented by the proper
kind Of dinner when he gets home from
school Improper food and physical
defects contribute TO an inferiority
complex. The child with an inferiority
complex Is generally the child who
shows of in order 10 attract atten-
ton
THE basic trouble with gangsters,
New York, Chicago, anywhere. is an
inferiority complex. They want no
toriety even more than they want
money; the thrill OF defying the police
is greater IN most cases than the thrill
OF the amount gained by a hold~up.
A personality defect starts them on
their career. and the career develops
more personality defects: vicious cir
Gle. which could have been broken by
intelligent investigation"
iC0pyrlghi 1921