Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-12
Ruling Gives
Murray Ro|ein
JuveniIeCases
Police Chief Has
Right to Determine
Showing Of Records

WAICtAkCI dTICSL TGCOTUS Oh JuVG-
niles shall be made public in the
opinion Of Corporation Counsel
Vernon E. West. it was revealed
last night.
But the corporation counsel
left open the question of whether
the records must be opened to
public inspection.
The opinion had been re-
quested by Juvenile Court Judge
Edith Cockrill. The Juvenile Ad-
viSory Committee had been seek
ing to discuss with police off,
Gals the matter Of releasing ju-
venile records to the press.
In her request to Mr.. West,
Judge Cockrill wrote:
II am informed by the police
that they feel that the law re-
quires that these records be
made public. 1t is my opinion
that there is no such require
ment in the law and that the
practice is contrary to the spirit
and intent of the Juvenile Court
law even though this law does
not specifically govern the Po-
lice Department"
Opinion by West.
Mr.. Vests opinion states that
the chief Of police has discre-
ton to determine whether rec
ords of arrest shall be open to
public inspection and. If so, to
what extent"
He added that the 1853 Dis
trict Law Enforcement Act spe-
officially states that police COM
plant files. reports of lost or
stolen property and personnel
records shall be open to public
inspection when not in actual
USE"
But the law is not specific with
respect to arrest records. he said.
whether one having special in
terest in a certain record would
have an absolute right to inspect
the same is a question we need
not here decide" Mr.. West
added.
Members of the Juvenile Court
Advisory Committee had not
been informed of the opinion at
their meeting yesterday. but in
dicated they were still interested
in talking to police officials when
it became available.
Meanwhile, the committee de-
cided to hold a special meet
ing at $3.50 pm. Tuesday to
take a stand on the proposed
Family Court before it comes
up for congressional hearings
later this month.
To next Tuesdays meeting will
be invited a lawyer who opposes
the Family Court proposal so
that the committee will have a
clear picture Of both sides.
Several members of the COM
mittee expressed individual ap-
proval Of the proposal in prin-
ciple, but nearly all agreed they
had not studied the matter care
fully enough to take action as a
group.
The committee had been asked
to take stand on several ques-
tons pertaining to the proposal
by Chief Judge Bolitha Laws of
the U. S. District Court for the
District Of Columbia.
Briefed by Supporters.
Although the committee had
attended a briefing on the court
proposal by judicial hackers in
District Court. the group felt it
wanted to know more about the
opposition's point of view.
Since the District Bar Asso-
citation voted against the pro-
posal it was felt that one of the
lawyers who led the opposition
in the association would be a
well-qualifled person to explain
argument against the Family
Court.
At a meeting yesterday Judge
Cockrill announced that collec-
tions by the court for non-sup-
port payments are SCI 900 ahead
OF what they were at the same
point in the last fiscal year.
She said that. so far this ifs
cal year, $276,000 has been COL
lected and it is hoped collec-
tons will reach the $500, 900
mark before the end of the fiscal
year.
Judge Cockrill also asserted
some progress is being made in
cutting down the time between
arrest and court action.
Credits Staff Work.
She said she is now hearing
cases from arrests in late No
vember and early December and
that is a significant improve
ment over the situation two
months ago. She attributed the
gain primarily to hard work on
the part of the staff.
The lag, she explained, is
caused by the time necessary for
case workers to prepare reports
on juveniles, rather than on a
crowding of the actual court
room docket.
The committee also decided to
write a letter to the Commits
sioners' Youth Council. giving its
support to the efforts the coun-
Gil is making and suggesting that
it concentrate on facilities to
care for the needs of unadjusted
children before they come into
contact with the law.
DR.. Orris Robinson was elected
chairman # the committee, and
Mrs. Robert Freer was reelected