Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-20
Murray Bans
Parents al Quiz
|Of Juveniles
Judge CockriII's
Plan Impractical,
Police Chief Says
By Charles 6. Brooks

By Charles 6. Brooks
Police Chief Robert v. Murray
last night declared it would be
impractical to make rule allow
ing parents Of juvenile offenders
to witness police interrogations
Of their children as suggested
by Juvenile Court Judge Edith
Cockrill.
At the same time. Judge
Cockrill announced she would
conform with a request by the
chief to turn over specific Incl
dents Of police brutality and in
Limitations in juvenile cases
she has complained about in her
court.
The chief, commenting on sew
eral suggestions by the jurist to
curb the complaints, said that a
rule requiring parents to be pres
ent when their children are ques-
toned by police would hinder
effective police work.
Three Courses Outlined.
Judge Cockrill suggested three
courses that could be taken to
help the situation. The sug-
gested remedies and Chief Muir
rays replies follow:
/. The judge asked that Chief
Murray investigate all the al
legged abuses. The chief said he
has investigated them in the
past and will do so in the future
if the judge forwards the COM
plants to him.
2. The jurist suggested par
entS of juveniles accused Of Of
lenses be present during police
interrogationS.
Chief Murray said he would
turn thumbs down on that re-
quest. as a general rule. It is
not practical, he said. While
saying that in many cases par
entS were present, he declared
that he could see no reason why
parents should attend the ques-
tioning of hardened juvenile
hoodlumS."
The chief declared that his
men take every possible step to
use care with arrested juveniles.
but Eat the same time we can't
permit hardened juveniles to go
unmolested about the streets
8. Judge Cockrill declared
that only juvenile squad detec-
tives should be allowed to ques-
ton juveniles, and that precinct
officers keep away from them
after the arrests.
Chief Murray declared that
the men at the precincts are the
ones called on to arrest juve-
niles and therefore must have
some dealing with them. How
ever. he emphasized. all men in
his department have strict or
ders to call in the juvenile squad
whenever a juvenile is arrested.
Judge Cockrill said that in
many instances precinct officers
have been conducting the actual
Investigations and then calling
in the juvenile squad detectives
who merely confirmed them.
Chief Murray did not agree to
that although he said it some
times takes a short time for
juvenile squad officers to arrive
at the precinct station.
Asks Facts on Brutality.
The Chief on Friday sent a
letter to Judge Cockrill request
ing the details on seven cases
she reviewed to the press plus
all other cases where brutality
or intimidationS have been
charged.
The letter. delivered in person
by Juvenile Squad Capt. John
Ryan. was sent despite the chiefs
belief that II feel it is the duty of
the judge Of the Juvenile Court
to notify me the same day she
learns" of such charges. just as
the Municipal and Federal court
judges do.
In a Friday press conference.
Judge Cockrill said she has noted
; a definite increase in complaints
of police brutality and intimida-
tions to obtain confessions. She
said she had turned over specific
cases to Chief Murray last De-
cember but had received no re-
port. Chief Murray. however, said
officers had been cleared Of such
charges after a fair" investiga-
ton.