Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-06
D c. Heads Proposal
0nJuveniIeC ourtGoes
To Senate Committee

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 its
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
of withholding information from
certain agencies which the
agencies need to carry on their
work properly"
| The Commissioners proposed
that the social records be opened
I'd 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 OF
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 ano
if she SO determines, she could ir
her discretion allow such persons
and agencies to inspect the socia
records"
Senator Welker, Republican. Of
Idaho, a member of the Senate
District Committees Judiciary
Subcommittee which will handle
the proposed legislation, has al.
ready made it plain that he op.
poses leaving this discretion in TIT
hands of the Juvenile Court judge
j The proposed measure ais,
would amend the law relating t.
the legal records of the court. Il
addition to respondents, thei
parents or guardians and dull
lied attorneys, the propose
allow inspection of the lega
by any institution t.
which a child is committed unde
the Juvenile Court law.
Special Order Needed.
Other interested persons o
agencies could seek a special orde
from the Juvenile Court judge O
from District Court to inspect tn
legal records. At present, Dis
trict Court but not the Juvenil
Court has the right to order tina
the legal records be made avail
r able.
= On the detention of children
: the new measure proposes tina
: no child be held in a detention
t home for more than seven day
unless the judge orders the chill,
t detained for a longer period.
AS for the admission of visitor
!, to the closed hearings, the pro
= posal would give the judge author
! ity to admit to hearings person
who have legitimate interest il
!, a case or in the work of the cour
4 Meanwhile, the court is losin
e another of its officials. DR.. Lii
Brunschwig, Juvenile Court psy
S chologist since the courts ments
health clinic opened in 1943, sal
today she is resigning "for per
e sonal reasons"
n She said her resignation "jus
= happens to coincide with othe
events at the court. 1t is not n
lated to these events"
She was referring to the resig
nations of the courts director G
social work and two of the fiv
supervisors, all of whom resigne
with protests against the court
a present policies The assistar
Y corporation counsel assigned
the court, Mrs. Una Rita Morris
t also recently asked for a transfe
d but said her request was based O
her recent illness.
DR.. Brunschwig said she was re
e signing so she could spend NOR
: time with her children, aged 8,
e and 8. The clinic jobs are unde
e the Public Health Service.
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