Evening star., 1951-05-24
District Heads
Confer With
judgeCockri|I
Will Seek to Adjust
Her Secrecy Order
At Juvenile Court

The District commissioners to-
day decided to see what can be
done about adjusting the Juvenile
Court secrecy order through ''in-
formal discussions" with Judge
Edith H. Cockrill.
The problems faced by COM
munity agencies in getting in
formation from Juvenile Court
under the new order were pre-
sented at the Commissioners
meeting by Commissioner F
Joseph Donohue.
A spokesman for the Commis-
sionerS said later that probably
Commissioner Donohue and Cor
poration Counsel Vernon West
would seek an appointment with
the judge.
West Attends Meeting.
Commissioner Donohue said be-
fore the board meeting that Mr..
West would advise the Commis-
sioners at the meeting. Mr.. West
did attend the meeting and pre-
Sumably proposed informal efforts
to straighten out the information
controversy.
Judge Cockrill returned to the
court today. She has been in Will
mington, Del, at a meeting since
public disclosure of her informa-
tion ban. Since then. police. judges,
probation officers of the other
court and public and private well
fare agencies have joined in pro-
testing the restrictions on infor-
nation about court cases.
Commissioner Donohue's inter-
est stems from his supervision over
the Welfare Department.
May Confer With Judge.
If Mr.. West advises it, Commits
sioner Donohue said, he will make
an appointment to see the judge
today.
Both the Public Assistance Divi-
sion and the Child Welfare Divi-
sion of the Board of Public We'll
fare are affected by Judge
SOcKrl1l OfQef.
The Public Assistance Division
reported to Commissioner Dono-
hue that the judges order limiting
information to what appears on
the court docket and requiring
that this must be inspected in
person has these effects on it's
operations:
l. A delay in disposing of appli-
cations for assistance-a delay
that will be accentuated when the
division moves to Cardozo School
and a clerk will have to go to
court by streetcar. Previously,
the needed information was sup
piled by telephone.
2. Cases must be accepted for |
time-c on suming investigation |
which might be rejected immedi- |
ately if the division knew at once
what the court had ordered. This
takes time needed for other cases. |
3. Women needing relief at
once suffer additional hardship
because the division has to with
hold help until the information |
is forthcoming.
Information Incomplete.
4. The information on the Off
cial docket is incomplete which
makes more investigation neces-
sary in the absence of the in
formation now closed to the
division.
5. In the absence of Judge
Cockrill, no other judge is author
lied to sign the form giving divi-
sion representative permission to
see even the docket. AS a result,
requests have to be held up.
6. The father or mother of the
child may not be available to
sign the written request without
which the division can get no
information at all. That means
another delay.
The Child Welfare Division re-
ported to Commissioner Donohue
that instead of getting full in
formation about a child before he
is committed to the Board of Pub
lie Welfare, summary of the
child's case history goes along
with him on the day of commit
ment.
AS a result, the Commissioner
was informed, the child placement
agency either has to make snap
decisions on what is the best place
to send the child or put him in
the Industrial Home School Annex
until more complete investiga-
ton is made.