Evening star., 1937-03-26
ACTION DUE SOON
BY SENATE GROUP
ON JUVENILE BILL
Hearing Ends With General
Endorsement, but Changes
Are Suggested.
CORPORATION COUNSEL
PART IN PLAN OPPOSED
Former District Attorney Laskey
Fights Introduction of Criminal
Process in Court Proposal.

Action by the Senate District Com
mittee early next week on the proposed
new Juvenile Court law appeared likely
today, following a public hearing late
yesterday at which most of the teSti-
mony was for the measure in principle,
although some amendments were dis
eussed.
Chairman King said he would try to
arrange a committee meeting for
tomorrow or within few days.
Terming the present law antiquated
because it deals with the child as a
criminal, former District Attorney
John E. Laskey acted as spokesman
for the large group supporting the
measure as it passed the House.
Corporation Counsel ElWood Seal
told the committee he is for the
measure in principle, but believes the
House bill places too much power in
one person ito initiate, prosecute and
judge cases. Prior to yesterday a
series Of tentative amendments had
been proposed, primarily to designate
the corporation counsels Office as the
agency to pass on preliminary investi-
cations to determine whether the
court should take formal Jurisdiction
Of . child.
Disagreement Held Vital.
Laskey told the committee confer
ences have been held on the proposed
amendments, but that there was still
a vital disagreement over the change
that would substitute the corpora ton
counsel for an officer of the court as
the one to determine whether the pre-
liminary inquiry justified filing a Pc
tition. Laskey said it would be un-
acceptable to advocates of the bill
because it would change the court
back to one of criminal procedure. He
emphasized that the whole plan of the
House bill IS to get away from the
criminal process and to treat the child
as some one needing the assistance of
the court to make him a good citizen
rather than to punish him.
Later in yesterdays discussion,
which lasted more than two hours,
Seal said he was willing to have the
question Of procedure pass out of his
ONCE, but thought whoever passes on
the preliminary information ought to
be appointed by some one other than
the court.
Copeland Considers Change.
There Is another provision in the
House bill that would give the Judge
discretionary power to designate q
social worker Of the court to act as
commissioner in the first instance, to
hear case and dispose Of it, or direct
the filing of petition. Senator Cope
land. Democrat, of New York, who is
sponsoring the House measure an
nounced he is considering modifica-
ton under which the judge would
recommend, but the District Commits
sioners appoint, the social orker
contemplated in that section. He
indicated, however, he did not think
that same procedure would be neces-
sary in regard to the officers OF the
court designated in another part Of
the bill to make preliminar.' inquiries.
In presenting the merits of the
House bill, Laskey was supported by
Miss Katharine F. Lenroot, chief Of
the children's bureau of the Depart
ment Of Labor; Wilbur La Roe, jr.,
Civic Affairs Committee Of the WASH
ington Federation OF Churches, and
Huston Thompson, who described the
success Colorado has had with the
more modern type of Juvenile Court
law.
Blanket Objection Heard.
George E. Sullivan appeared as an
individual member of the bar against
the pending bill in its entirety. He
contended there is no way Of saving
child in the bill that is not available
under the existing law, but that the
pending measure takes away some of
the safeguards that now exist. He
declared that some very well inten-
toned people prepared the bill in the
belief that the safeguards interfere
with the protection Of the child. When
Senator Capper, Republican, Of Kan
sas, called attention to the long list of
organizations indorsing the bill, Sui
Ivan replied:
II predict not one Of them has read
Or are familiar with the present law"
Leo P. Harlow, representing the
District Bar Association, said he was
not objecting to the bill in principle,
but agreed with Seal that the House
measure puts too much power in one
source.
There is sentiment in the Bar
Association that this is good bill
and ought to pass" said Harlow,
Except that it contains too much con-
centration of power and lack Of checks
and balances"
Would Appoint Lawyer.
He then suggested that lawyer,
not necessarily under the corporation
counsel, but appointed by the Com
nnissionsrs, be designated to intervene
ut some point in the handling OF juvenile
cases.
Charles I. Norris, acting chairman
of the Law and Legislation Committee
Of the Federation Of Citizens Associa-
tions, said the Federation Committee
has not had time to study the pending
bill because Of q change in chairman
ship. He stated, however, that the
federation registered objections to .
bill pending last year, and he ex-
pressed his personal view that the
pending bill contains the points the
federation objected to last year.
Early in the hearing hartman
King said as he understood the Seal
amendment, it designated an assistant
corporation counsel instead Of an agent
of the court to pass on the preliminary
information in q juvenile case.
The net result" replied Laskey, 'is
that it takes the control and puts it
entirely in the hands Of the corporation
counsel because he could decide
whether to take matter into court"
Isn't the same true with the agent
Of the court?" King continued.
"Yes," said Laskey, but there you
have . person trained in dealing with
child delinquency"