Evening star., 1951-06-04
Juvenile Court Study

Results OF a study OF JuVeulle COurC opera
tions, conducted by committee representing
interested Government and community agencies,
support, in The Stars opinion, Commissioner
Donohues moves for amendment of the Juvenile
Court Act. Congressional hearings on such
amendment offer the most orderly means of
discussing and clarifying the dispute between
Judge Cockrin and welfare agencies over the
availability to them of certain court records,
and of changing the law if it needs changing.
The study committee found that the District
law is more rigid than the laws Of some of the
States and the standard juvenile court law, on
which the District Act is based
The local law does not contain the precise
provision, found in these other laws, under which
discretion rests with the Judge OF Juvenile Court
in granting permission for inspection of certain
court records to persons having Legitimate
interest therein"
Judge Cockrill has made very narrow in
depreciation of this rigid District law, an inter-
pretation which seems to be unique here as well
as elsewhere. 1t contradictS Interpretation of
the same law by her predecessor 1t is plainly
out of tune with the spirit of the law itself; in
fact it reduces the law to an absurdity and re-
calls the classic comment of Mr.. Bundle, to the
effect that eff the law suppoSes that :. the
law is ass. idiot"
1ne study COmmltCee Is Qeullltely Oh the
opinion that the Juvenile Court law is wrong,
If Judge Cockrls Interpretation of it is correct.
It offers no opinion, however, on whether Judge
CockrillS Interpretation is correct suggesting
another committee to explore that field. But
short of inSttuting some legal challenge of Judge
Cockrills Interpretation, designed to bring the
matter before a higher court, Congressional
study of an amendment seems the practical
course to pursue.
The principle of Juvenile Court laws gen.
orally is to rest much discretion with the judge,
and that principle is sound. But the more fun
damental consideration relates to the caliber of
the judges who are to exercise this discretion
The most able and experienced Judges of the
Federal bench could we'll be baffled by some of
the problems in human conduct which face
judge of Juvenile Court. But if the criteria
applied in the selection of Juvenile Court Judge
are to be, first, that she must be woman; Sec
ond, that she must be spinster without pre-
vious experience in dealing with the mysterious
conduct of adolescent boys Give out of every six
delinquents in the local court are boys) and,
third, that she meet various political require
ments-then the amount of discretion placed
In the hands of Judge who administers
Justice in a secret court does become important
AS The Star has suggested previously, Con-
gressonal inquiry may conclude that amend
ment of the judges thinking is needed more
than amendment of the law itself.
This study of Juvenile Court was initiated
last June with recommendation from the
Juvenile Court Advisory Committee. The study
is impersonal and objective, without emphasis
on the current controversy over Interpretation
of the law 1t finds a number of long-standing
practices In our local court which need changing,
without necessarily amending the law. Some OF
them will require more personnel The study
should be helpful in improving the functioning
of what we should, but fail to, regard as one OF
the most important courts in Washington.