Evening star., 1950-06-06
Judge CockriI|
Gathers Figures
In Court Dispute
Promises to Give Out
True Picture of Her
Tribunals S Work

charges and counter-charge
swirling about Juvenile Court sine
the resignation of two top cour
aides.
Juvenile Court Judge Edit
Cockrill, whose administration wa
criticized by the two resigninl
court officers, told reporters yes
terday she has four staff member
working on court figures.
I'm going to give out the bes
possible information that present!
the true picture of court opera
tions," she promised.
In resigning, Miss Virgins
Clary, the courts social service
director, and Miss Clare Fagrie
~upervisor of probation, told the
ldge her methods confiicted with
1e basic philosophy of the Juve.
lie Court act.
Commitments Criticized.
From other sources have come
omplaints that the number o1
2mmitments of boys to the Ma
'onal Training School has shown
n abrupt increase under Judge
1ockrill's administration. that on
ONE occasions she has brushed
side the recommendations of
rotation officers and that her
eeatment of juvenile offenders
as been unnecessarily harsh in a
ourt established by law to re-
affiliate rather than simply to
lr1ish youths.
Judge Cockrill said her staff
AS working on figures on the
lumber of commitments to the
'ational Training School. the
ypes of cases where commitments
AVE been made and the number
cf commitments that ran counter
to the recommendations of the
social workers.
She said she did not know al
this point whether the commit
rlents have increased or decreased
during her ne-month tenure
but regardless of what the figures
show numerically, a number o1
factors might enter into it.
There appears to be a greater
number of 16 and II year old!
who quit school, find difficulty
getting jobs and are more likely tc
get into trouble, she said.
Sees Injury to Morale.
She was asked to comment or
Miss Clary's charge that she
treats cases in court in a "puni.
tive" manner. The judge said she
didn't know what that meant. She
also said Miss Clary had never
been present in the courtroom
during a hearing.
In answer to other questions,
however. she acknowledged that
the workers under Miss Clary
would report to her whenever
their recommendations were not
carried out, and that Miss Fagrie
had been in the courtroom during
hearings.
She was asked to comment or
reports that she has kept men ir
Jail after they have paid up In
nonsupport cases, although past
practice has been to release them
so they could earn money.
She said she did not recall
specific cases where that had hap
pened, but did recall a case where
man who had been repeatedly
warned was finally sent to jail
AS a condition of his release, she
said, she required him to furnish
$1,000 bond that he would con-
tinue making payments. When he
could not make this bond, she
said, he went back to jail. She
acknowledged that requiring such
a bond was rather unusual.
The judge was asked if the
morale of the court workers was
chaotic"
"Yes," she replied, II think thi.
whole thing has been coming
about for some time due to ad.
ministrative differences between
Miss Clary and me-"
Regards Attacks as BaselesS.
She was asked if she had sem
any boys to the training .schoo
when their offenses we're not seri.
GUS.
"I don't recall any," she replied
''but each individual case is treat
ed on the basis of all the infor-
nation before the court-the
social study and the factors pre-.
sented at the time of the hearing.
She was asked if the criticism!
of her conduct made by the resign.
ing employees would change hel
methods of operation.
II have done what in my judg.
ment was the best thing to do
I consider the attacks withou
foundation" she replied.
She was asked if she would al
low individual members of tn,
Juvenile Court Advisory Commit
tee to attend court hearings a.
part of their plan to keep in close
touch with the court. She sale
she would not be able to say tina
until after the advisory commit
tee meeting Thursday.
She was asked if she had vetoeC
plans of the Juvenile Court Ad.
visory Committee to make another
area study of recreational needs
The study made last year resulted
in more playground facilities in al
area noted for its juvenile delin.
quency.
She said she had vetoed tn,
plan because she felt it was 6
Recreation Department project il
which the Advisory Committe,
should cooperate. rather thar
one it should undertake itself.
She acknowledged that the sub
committee which had planned t,
make the survey was headed b.
a Recreation Department Official
but she said a court probation
officer and a court supervisor wer
also on the subcommittee.
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