Evening star., 1954-06-07
Uniform Setup
for Juvenile
Courts Urged
End of Unnecessary
Secrecy Is Urged
In Special Report
By ChorIes 6. Brooks


By ChorIes 6. Brooks
A special report, suggesting
uniform standards for juvenile
courts throughout the country
and urging the Capitalization of
powers over juveniles in the
courts, was released today by the
Department Of Health, Education
and Welfare.
The report, prepared by the
departments Children's Bureau,
in cooperation with the Ma
tional Council Of Juvenile Court
Judges and the National Proba-
ton and Parole Association,
made six major points in a sort
of bill of rights" for children.
Entitled Standards for Spe-
cialized Court Dealing With
Children" it is designed pri-
marily to guide areas not al
ready served by juvenile courts
or where the courts are made
quate and inefficient.
Controversial Points.
The report also touches on sew
eral controversial subjects which
are being battled over in the Dis
trict. It strongly recommends
that the courts retain the power
to waive jurisdiction over juve-
niles accused of certain crimes
and it suggests laws giving the
juvenile court judges the exclu-
sive power to permit or forbid
police f1ngerprinting and photo
graphing of children.
Although it would leave to the
discretion of the court the con-
ditionS under which access to
actual cases may be had, it rec
ommendS that the public be al
lowed to know more about the
operations of the court. It holds
that the press should be allowed
in hearings at the discretion of
the judge.
"The court owes to the COM
munity an accounting of its
work." the report said, land.
through such an accounting,
may receive valuable help and
advice"
The report slapped current
practices of star chamber"
hearings and unnecessary secrecy
and observed that throughout
the country many newspapers
have voluntarily withheld the
identification of juveniles. It
stated that a good relationship
with the press is an important
way of accounting to the COM
munity for it's work.
The six basic points the report
recommends are:
l. Due process of law is as
applicable to procedures in ju-
venile p courts as in any other
court. The juvenile court is de-
signed to treat or rehabilitate,
not punish juvenile offenders and
as a consequence the right of q
child to live with his own family
and the rights of parents to care
for their children must be sale.
guarded.
2. The juvenile court should
retain power to dispose of cases.
No inherent power - such as
waving its jurisdiction-should
be transferred to another agency.
8. At the same time, statutes
should restrict the judge to the
extent of specifying types of dis
positions the judge may make in
juvenile cases.
4. All parties coming before
the court have a right to know
the facts on which the court
makes its decision. Although
the privacy OF a child and his
family must be safeguarded, the
public has the right to know
about the general operation of
the court-ie., through the press.
S. Parents and children should
be guaranteed the right to legal
counsel as in other courts.
6. Statutes should set the
rights, duties and responsible
Ties of the child, his parents,
any administrative agency and
The court.
Bill Is Pending.
At present a bill is pending
n Congress which would transfer
the power of waving the Ju-
venile Courts jurisdiction from
the judge to the United States
Attorney.
The court has the power to
waive Jurisdiction in all cases
where a 16 or 17-year-old child
commits a felony. The court may
also waive jurisdiction in any
case where a capital crime has
been committed.
After criticism that Judge
Edith Cockrill failed to waive
in serious cases often
the bill was introduced
on the recommendation of U. S.
Leo A. Rover who
wanted the authority to prose-
cIlte Juveniles cOYnmittino SariouS