Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-06
Commissioners
Submit Plan for
JuveniIeCourt
Senate Group Gets
D. c. Heads Proposal
To Solve Controversy

Chairman Nicely of the Senate
District Committee today had
under consideration the District
Commissioners version of what is
needed to unravel the records
controversy at Juvenile Court.
The proposed legislation. sent to
Senator Nicely yesterday with an
urgent" recommendation for it's
enactment, also goes into deten-
ton of children at the Receiving
Home and admission of interested
outsiders to court hearings.
On the records question, the
Commissioners wrote Senator
Nicely that Juvenile Court Judge
Edith H Cockrill's ruling that she
has no authority to divulge court
social records "has had the effect
Iof withholding information from
certain agencies which the
agencies need to carry on their
work properly"
The Commissioners proposed
that the social records be opened
to the Board of Public Welfare
and its authorized employees. Any
other interested persons and gov
ernmental and private agencies, as
the judge determines by rule or
special order of the court, also
would be permitted to inspect the
social records.
At Discretion of Judge.
This provision" the Commits
sioners explained, would allow
the judge to determine which per-
sons and agencies have a legiti-
mate interest in the records and
ii she so determines, she could in
her discretion allow such persons
and agencies to inspect the social
records"
Senator Welker, Republican, Of
Idaho, member of the Senate
District Committees Judiciary
Subcommittee which will handle
the proposed legislation, has al
ready made it plain that he OPP
poses leaving this discretion in the
hands of the Juvenile Court judge.
The proposed measure also
would amend the law relating to
the legal records of the court. In
addition to respondents, their
parents or guardians and duly
authorized attorneys, the proposal
would allow inspection of the legal
records by any institution to
which child is committed under
the Juvenile Court law.
Special Order Needed.
Other interested persons or
agencies could seek a special order
from the Juvenile Court Judge or
from District Court to inspect the
legal records. At present, Dis
trict Court but not the Juvenile
Court has the right to order that
the legal records be made avail
able.
! On the detention of children.
the new measure proposes that
no child be held in a detention
home for more than seven DAYS
unless the judge orders the child
detained for longer period.
AS for the admission of visitors
to the closed hearings, the pro-
posal would give the judge author
lty to admit to hearings persons
who have legitimate interest in
case or in the work of the court.
Meanwhile, the court is losing
another of its officials. DR.. Lily
BrunschWig, Juvenile Court psy-
chologist since the courts mental
health clinic opened in 1943, said
today she is resigning "for per-
sonal reasons"
She said her resignation "just
happens to coincide with other
events at the court. 1t is not re-
lated to these events"
She was referring to the resig-
nations of the courts director of
social work and two of the five
supervisors, all of whom resigned
with protests against the courts
present policies. The assistant
corporation counsel assigned to
the court, Mrs. Una Rita Morris
also recently asked for a transfer
but said her request was based on
her recent illness.
DR.. Brunschwig said she was re-
signing so she could spend more
time with her children, aged g. 4
ana y. The clinic jobs are under
the Public Health Service.