Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-25
Plan 10 Waiver
JuveniIeCourf's
Power Opposed
Move Would Give
More Power to
U. S. Attorney


tifying today before the Citi-
zens' Advisory Council spoke in
favor of lodging the power to
waive Juvenile Court jurisdiction
over youthful offenders in the
Office of the United States at
torney.
The remaining witnesses IA
vored leaving the waiver power
with the Juvenile Court judge.
or in effect distributing the au-
thority among that judge, the
United States attorney and the
chief judge of the Municipal
Court of Appeals.
The District Council on Law
Enforcement recently recon-
mended by close vote that Con-
gress pass a law vesting the
city's chief prosecutor with the
authority to make waiver de-
cisions.
Legislation to that effect is
now pending. The advisory coun-
Gil now is studying the question.
along with other law eenforce-
ment council recommendations,
in order to make its own recon-
mendations to the District Com
misSionerS.
The enforcement councils sole
supporter today was Metropoli-
tan Police Chief Robert v. Muir
ray. Chief Murray stated fatty
that "the United States attorney
should evaluate juvenile cases
and decide whether they should
be prosecuted in Juvenile Court
or u. S. District Court for the
District of Columbia" The chief
emphasized in taking this stand
that he intends no reflection on
the present judge of Juvenile
Court, Edith H. Cockrill.
Press Called Cooperative.
Chief Murray also discussed
the question of whether police
should make available for pub
LEGATION the names of juvenile
offenders appearing on police ar
rest books. Over the years, and
under a recent ruling by the
District corporation counsel. the
police chief has had the diScre-
ton of making this information
public. In practice. the depart
ment has disclosed names of
juveniles arrested.
But the police chief stated
bluntly, II don't think it should
be discretionary. 1t should be
spelled out in the law. I don't
want the authority or RESPONSE
bility of making the decision"
Council members asked him if
he knew Of any instances where
access to juvenile arrest books
has resulted in abuses. He said
he knew of none, and that, in
fact. the press has been ex-
tremely conservative and CO.
operative in using these names"
Chief Murray submitted on the
other hand that keeping such
information secret would risk
much more abuse"
Sees Danger in Change.
G. Rowland Shaw. civic leader
who led the opposition to the
enforcement council recon-
mendation, declared that it
would be dangerous" to take
the waiver authority from Juve-
nile Court and place it in the
hands of prosecutors who have
no particular competence in
that field"
Mr.. Shaw said that criteria
should be prepared to guide the
Juvenile Court judge as to the
circumstances under which
waiver should or should not be
ordered.
Mrs. Robert E. Freer, vice
chairman of the Juvenile Court
Advisory Committee, asserted
that the Juvenile Court judge
should retain the waiver au-
thority because of it's expert
enceS in making decisions re-
garding the care and treatment
of children. There seems" Mrs.
Freer said, mo valid reason to
change procedure which is ma
tional in practice and salts
factory in operation"