Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-09
JudgeCockri|I
And Rover Air
Juvenile Crime
Attorney Calls Rise
Dangerous; Jurist
Sees Exuggerotion
By Miriom Gutenberg
BY Miriom Gutenberg

By Miriam Gutenberg
United States Attorney Leo A.
Rover today described the rise
in juvenile crime as danger
ous," but Juvenile Court Judge
Edith H. Cockrill contended the
number Of vicious crimes attrfb-
uted to- young offenders has
been exaggerated"
They were taking the two
sides in the controversy over
which one of them should de-
eide whether older juveniles
should be tried n juvenile or
an adult court.
The House District judiciary
subcommittee, joined by men,
bers of the House District Com
mittee, took the occasion to go
into the whole Juvenile Court
procedure.
Subcommittee members want
ed TO know about the courts
secrets, why offenders promptly
show up as repeaters and what
happens to them after they are
committed to an institution.
Separate Handling Urged.
Mr.. Rover centered his argu-
ment to give the waiver author
ity to the United States attorney
on the idea that older youths
who have become hardened
criminals should not be handled
in the same court as youth de-
linquentS. He said the original
Juvenile Court Act recognized
this distinction in providing that
the Juvenile Court judge could
waive jurisdiction over 16 and
17-year olds committing serious
crimes.
Mr.. Rover made these other
points:
/. Those who want the waiver
power, transferred from the. Jul
venile Court judge to the prose-
cutor are not trying to break
down present Juvenile Court
practices as they apply to most
delinquents, but only want to
deal with hardened young GRIM
inals.
2. The adult crime rate here
Is going down while the juvenile
rate is going up, and the same
factors which contributed to re-
ducing the adult rate would help
bring down the juvenile rate. He
referred to the combined efforts
of police from his Office and Fed
eral Court judges.
3. The psychological effect on
Juveniles Of knowing they might
be tried as adults would have a
deterrent effect.
4. The prosecutor would have
the benefit of a social study made
by court social workers and
would consider the child's entire
background. as well as the seri-
business of the crime before
determining where the case
should be tried.
S. It has a bad effect on young
delinquents when older and more
hardened offenders are sent to
the same juvenile institution.
6. Juvenile Court overstresses
rehabilitation and understresses
protection of the community.
"We're not thirsting for blood, /"
Mr.. Rover told the subcommittee.
"but we are thinking in terms
of the protection of the COM
munity."
Sees Disregard for Facts.
Judge Cockrill told the sub
committee that without rninimiz-
ing the seriousness of the sit
uation, ST think we are reaching
for straws" without regard for
facts and reality"
She said the fault does not lie
In the law, but in the facilities
implementing it.
1--WE have a substantial in
crease in child population and
q similar increase in juvenile
j delinquency" she said. eve have
a breaking down in homes and
parental discipline and restraint.
We have inadequate community
planning, facilities and resources
for prevention. We have in
adequate personnel and facilities
for treatment and training of
delinquents."
She said it wasn't true that
Juvenile Court has no interest
in the protection Of the public.
To back that up, she said that
As per cent Of the inmates of
the National Training School for
Boys were committed there by
the Districts Juvenile Court
and that 43 children were COM
mitted to the Welfare Depart
ment to be put into institutions
last year.
She said she was surprised too,
when juveniles she had COM
mitted to the Welfare Depart
ment had turned up in her
court on new offenses four to
six weeks later, but she blamed
that on the fact that the welfare
institutions are too crowded to
keep them.
She also said that Juveniles
committed through Juvenile
Court might be institutionalized
longer than they could remain
in institutions to which they
were sentenced In the adult
court.
She reported that during the
last fiscal year. Juvenile Court
received police requests for waiv-
ers on 90 children. OF these
she said. one request was with.
drawn by police, Is were ap-
proved and the court waived jur.
isdiction pn its own initiative In
two CASE
Judge Cockrill argued thai
punishment by itself has moi
proved q deterrent to crime. thai