The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1954-07-10
The Tribune
Visits Local
JuveniIeC0urt
By Florence Fields-Wood

By Florence Fieds-Wood
There are agencies and there are agencies and we
look with askance many of them. So often we as
citizens, know such little our municipal DEPART
ments that embarrassed.
From time to time let's take look at some of these
pranches and get a general idea of how they work
There is department known as the Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court at 622 Rorer Ave. S. W. Does
the name brighten your Then you should get glimpse of
This branch OF social welfare and learn that not
Court in the strctest of the word In reality it
comes nearer to serving a social adjustment and re-
Mobilization center.
1t is the honorable K. A. Pate, the presiding judge
who that ct is good that civic thinking i'm this
country recognizes the need to deal with problem of
juvenile delinquency and domestic relations in separate
judicial removed from the tensions and
damaging publicity of the open criminal courts. Only in
calm and constructive atmosphere with experienced
guidance difficulties be resolved which arise chiefly
out OF material and mental poverty misunderstanding
and maladjustment'
In simplest words, this court tries to find the
reason for" behind the delinquent Where
we dealt with hooganizm result of high spirits
we faced with thefts violence with fire arms
deviatons drug addiction 1t is then, that find
ourselves asking the queston-out of what do these
things arise? out of insecurity2 Aftermath of
broken homes parents the constant threat
of military service lack of proper recreationa faci
lities?
The Junevile Court has special procedure by which
all handled, and the members of the welfare
staff particularly anxious that the public be acquant
ed with it.
Suppose we take an imaginary case where there is
complaint against child of damaging property Your
first approach should be to the Intake worker Mrs
Alice Schlossberg in that capacity and is quite
capable She has with the organization for quite
number of years
Intake" has given the Court better chance to
cases. directing those that need Court action to
that end resolving others that be disposed of by
them referring to the probation officer for possible
disposition without Court action.
An important thing to remember-Do not call the
probation officer. He she do nothing until the
has handled through the Intake department
If the case cannot be resolved at intake, then is
passed on the P and if they in turn cannot solve
it, the delinquent then finds himself before the Court
First, it is to be emphasized that this Juvenile Re
latons Court is family" Court All problems pertain
ing the child the adults of the family handled
in this court 1t is also informal Court For In
stance wife and husband have been in Court on the
complaint of the wife that there considerable
pickering the husbands part. The children were
brought into the picture and both parents were en-
barrassed beyond words when the children confessed
disgust the behavior of each parent The parents had
never once dreamed that the children thought of them
both as being "fussy". 1t solved their problem.
story in point by Judge Pate One day little
eght-year-old boy brought to by the police, VINO
had found him begging the street The Judge called him
in for talk and reminded him that begging was against
the law Yes he knew that Why, then, ne doing it
Judge he said desperately, II had to have some money
Why did he need money? 'Wel" he said, IL promised
to give boy twenty cents if he let me play with his
football and he's bigger than and he said ne was
going TO beat me up il didn't pay him. The Judge De-
gan light but pointed out that promises snouio
not be made unless one is very they be kept
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