Evening star., 1951-03-13
Judicial
Continued From First Page

Youth Corrections Act which
would include the District will be
presented to the conference at a
closed session this afternoon.
In general, the Youth Correc-
tions Act provides a highly f1ex-
I ible system for handling young
offenders. 1t sets up a special
youth board in the Justic Depart
ment to which youthful offenders
can be committed by the courts
for indefinite periods up to six
years for correctional treatment.
If a judge decides the youth
requires more than six years
treatment he can commit him up
to the maximum sentence for the
offense. To guide him in his deci-
sion the judge may also request
a full study of the offenders case
by special group of experts set
up for the purpose.
The new setup gives great lati-
tude to authorities in the type of
institutions to which offenders
might be sent-ranging from in
stitutions of maximum security
down to special schools, farms and
work camps. The offender could
be released at any time authori-
ties find him ready to return to
society.
Hailed Everywhere"
Taken all in ALL" Mr.. Bennett
told the conference, "the act has
been hailed everywhere as the
most progressive step taken to-
ward the improvement of the ad-
miniStration of justice. 1t is my
honest hope that the District will
take measures to avail itself of
this law and the facilities which it
offers"
Under the arrangement worked
out py the special committee, Mr..
Bennett said, the District will pro-
vide its own facilities for handling
offenders but could also contract
with the Federal Government for
the Use of its institutions. This
arrangement, he said. would not
appreciably add to the tax burden
of the District which now pays
100000 a year for use of Federal
facilities.
Extension of the Federal act to
the District received the indorse-
ment of Chief Justice Vinson who
described the legislation as a great
step forward.
The proposed amendment. he
said, might make it possible for
the District to "be again a model
for the rest of the country in re-
spect to this legislation"
Considered Temporary.
Leo A. Rover. former United
States Attorney. and member of
the District Parole Board, said the
use of Federal institutions for
treating District youth offenders
is considered temporary.
THE time will come" he said,
when we will be able to secure
enough funds to treat our own
boys in our own way"
The conference also considered
the possibility of setting up
separate court to handle domestic
relations cases, now under the
jurisdiction of District Court.
The suggestion was opposed by
Jean M. Boardman of the District
Bar Association who declared that
the present treatment of domestic
cases here sis the most thorough
and most intelligent anywhere in
the United States" The impor-
tance of such cases. he argued, is
illustrated by the fact that there
is more money involved in matri-
monial cases than in all other
types of civil cases heard in the
courts
Serious Backlog Cited.
District Court judges who would
like to rid themselves of domestic
relations cases should remember
that jurisdiction is created for
the American people and not for
the pleasure of judges" Mr..
Boardman said.
Other speakers pointed out that
domestic relations cases compris-
ing one half of the civil cases
heard by District Court judges
create a serious backlog on court
calenders.
Leroy Mckinney of the Wash
ington Bar Association suggested
that the speedup disposition of
cases either special court should
oe created on the Municipal Court
level or that a special domestic
relations branch of District Court
should be set up.