Evening star., 1940-06-27
McCarran Asks
Probe Of D. T..
Social Problems
Senate Group Ends
Hearing on Remaining
Of Judge Bentley

A thorough investigation of social
problems here by the Commissioners
and the Senate and House District
Committees was recommended today
by Chairman McCarran of a Senate
Judiciary subcommittee as he closed
public hearings on the nomination
of Judge Fay L. Bentley to serve
another term on the Juvenile Court
bench.
Senator McCarran pointed out
that Juvenile Court has too much
work and as result it cannot de-
vote a sufficient amount of time
to cases. At the same time he paid
tribute to Miss Bentley, declaring
he did not know whether any one
could handle the cases better.
AS the hearings ended, Senator
McCarran said:
"One thing does impress the
Chairman. The court handles thou
sands of cases. Certainly not
enough time is given to individual
cases. I don't know that it is the
province of the committee to go
into it. I think the District Com
missloners and the District COM
mitteeS should make a thorough
investigation of the whole social
problem that is reflected here in the
conditions not conductive to the
welfare of the District.
Congressional Action Asked.
"The court has too much work.
don't know whether any one could
handle the cases any better than
Judge Bentley. No one person can
handle 5000 to 1000 cases success
fully.
1T seems to me that the matter
addresses itself to the Senate and
House District Committees. They
should go into the matter much
more thoroughly. Something should
be done about the social conditions
that give rise to these records.
We're turning back into society
a group of young people that should
be otherwise directed than into the
course of an unhappy life"
Preceding conclusion of the hear
ingS, lawyers who have practiced
In Juvenile Court and parents of
children who have been tried there
on delinquency charges paraded be-
fore the subcommittee for rebuttal
of some of the charges leveled at
Judge Bentley by some of the for
mer witnesses.
Called Fair by Lawyers.
The lawyers who testified were
unanimous in their opinion that
Judge Bentley has been fair and has
administered the juvenile laws prop
erly. The parents said they could
find no fault with her treatment of
their children, even though in some
instances there were commitments
to correctional institutions.
All the testimony, however, was
not favorable to Judge Bentley. Miss
Nita S. Hinman, an attorney, the
first witness, told the subcommittee
the judge showed a peculiar atti-
tude toward the law"
Attorney Hinman cited several
cases which she handled in the court
to support her statement.
Leading the parents who filed be-
fore the subcommittee to praise
Judge Bentley was Guiseppi de
Meglio, a huckster, and father of II
children-eight boys and four girls.
One of the boys got into trouble" :"
he said, and Judge Bentley gave him
the choice of serving three months
in a reform school or enlisting in
the Army. He chose the latter.
Others who testified included Mrs.
Rebecca Leech, Clifton R. Borne
man, Mrs. Ernest Reed, Mrs. Carrie
Beavers and Attorneys Andrew j.
Howard, Josiah Lyman and Charles
F. Wilson.
The subcommittee also took the
testimony of Miss Virginia Often
berg, former probation at Juvenile
Court, who pointed out that the
conduct of the court has been to
protect the child.