Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-19
Murray Asks
Quick ! Reportin
Brutality Cases
Urges Judge Cockrill
To Notify Him Of
Any Wrong-Doing'
By Charles 6. Brooks

by On0kIeS u. BROOKS
Police Chief Robert v. Murray
called upon Juvenile Court Judge
Edith CocIrill late yesterday to
notify him Immediately Of any
alleged police wrong doing as
soon as she hears Of it.
The chief. replying to Judge
Cockrill's release Of information
regarding cases of alleged police
brutality and intimidations since
last December, added he still has
no specific information.
Judge Cockrill said she has
noticed an increase in COM
plants of undue violence and
threats used by officers in forcing
confessions. She listed seven
cases. She also declared she
would furnish the seven in
stances, as well as others, to
Chief Murray, if he requested
them.
Murray's Statement.
The chief Immediately released
the following statement:
1.-THE Municipal Court, judges
and the District Court judges
have, ever since I have been chief
Of police. promptly notified me of
any complaints affecting the
Metropolitan Police Department.
Their cooperation could not
be improved upon: therefore. I
feel it is the duty of the judge
Of the Juvenile Court to also
promptly notify me. the same
day she learns Of them, of any
complaints of alleged mistreat-
ment of juveniles or of any
wrong doing by any member Of
the Metropolitan Police Depart
ment.
II would like to repeat that
wrong-doing by a member of the
Metropolitan Police Department
will not be condoned or tolerated,
and I think the record will bear
me out on that. However, the
mere statement of a person
charged with a crime that he or
she has been miStreated, whether
juvenile or adult, should not be
considered an established fact.
A prompt report of such allega-
tions will enable the officials in
this department to make a fair
and impartial investigation"
The Judge. in a special press
conference yesterday, attempted
to back up charges made last
Tuesday by her advisory COM
mittee to the effect that police
had been mistreating juveniles.
Says Cases Supplied.
She declared she had supplied
q number of specific instances
to Chief Murray last December
but that she had heard Of no
action that was ever taken. >
In turn, Chief Murray de-
elared: Last December those
cases the judge gave us were
fairly investigated and were un-
founded"
Judge Cockrill, noting that a
number of such instances had
occurred between December and
last April /, said she conferred
with her committee, which sent
q subcommittee to see the chief.
Chief Murray, however, said
the subcommittee gave him no
specific instances to work on.
He termed the charges vague
and underlined"
Yesterday Judge Cockrill
summarized to reporters seven
instances she said she had noted.
She added that Chief Murray
would be welcome to all of the
details, If he would request them
and agree not to release them.
No Promise by Murray.
Chief Murray, however, de-
clared: I'm not going to make
any promises about that. We can
have vague charges made against
the police department, but if we
go into them and find that they
are unfounded, we aren't sup
posed to say anything about it."
Judge Cockrill said yesterday
that precinct officers, rather than
juvenile squad detectives are
doing most of the actual inves-
tigation and interrogation of
suspected juvenile delinquentS.
She suggested three remedies
for the situation. as she sees it:
1. That Police Chief Murray
investigate all of the alleged
abuses.
2. That parents of juveniles
accused of offenses be present
during interrogations.
3. That only juvenile squad
detectives be allowed to ques-
ton juveniles, and that precinct
officers maintain a hands-off
policy.
Judge Cites Instances.
In sketching the cases to re-
porters, Judge Cockrill concealed
names and identifying details, in
conformance with her policy OF
maintaining a cloak of secrecy
over the court. She gave these
instances she had compiled be-
tween last December and April 1:
/. On March / a 15-year-old
boy was arrested by 18th precinct
police and accused of several
housebreakings. Judge Cockrill
said the police information
quoted the youth as admitting
them. In court, she continued,
when the youth denied them
she asked why and received the
following answer:
Because wanted to live"
The boy told her. 4he con-
tinued. that two officers punched
him in the stomach so that NO
marks would be left, and then
threatened to hurl him out OF
the window. He told her he con-