Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-10-06

gomery County Juvenile Court
which was established as a sepa
rate court in 1881.
In the opinion of Judge Noyes
the Juvenile Court has now
reached a point in its structure
where it conforms with the &C.
ceptable standards for such a
court in a jurisdiction the size
of Montgomery County.
Legislation has provided a full
time magistrate, professionally
trained probation officers anc
provisions for hiring the neces
sary clerical staff. It also has
minimum standards for qualifica
tons of all positions and the EN-
ployees of the probation depart
ment and the clerical staff have
the protection of the merit sys-
tenn.
The most important step, per-
haps, has been the sterilization
of the court by legislation through
the provision Of a more adequate
tenure for the presiding judge
Tenure is now eight years instead
of the previous two.
All of these steps came grad
ually over a period of "a years.
Before 1881 Judge Robert B. Peter
of the Circuit Court, sat as Judge
of the Juvenile Court. At that
time, the governor was authoriz-
ed to appoint a magistrate on a
part time basis to the Juvenile
Court here.
In 1915, there was a reenact-
ment of the 1881 statute tha
modernized the standards for the
court, gave a more definite out
line of the duties of the magis-
trate and provided for the APP
pointment of probation officers.
In 1913, the merit system was
put into effect for court employ
ees and in 1850 the Act was re-
vised again to strengthen the
Court and its services. In 1852,
the County Council appropriated
the money for full time salary
for the magistrate.
This year saw another import
ant step, the Peoples Court Law,
creating a Peoples Court for
Montgomery County, the only one
in the state outside of Baltimore
City.
One of the three judges of the
Peoples Court is designated as
Judge of the Juvenile Court with
a tenure of eight years, and all
three judges are appointed by the
County Council instead of the
governor.
Judge Noyes, first appointed In
May, 1916, was reappointed this
year by the County Council. Pre-
vious judges were r. Granville
Curry, Thomas NJ. Anderson,
John Gassaway and Frank Proc
tor.
Another step in the develop
ment of the court was the crea-
ton of a Montgomery County Jul
venile Court Committee by the
County Council in 1949.
It's duties are to advise the
magistrate with regard to polio
les and procedures within the
jurisdiction of the court; to study
and recommend to the Magis-
trate and the County Council leg
islation relating to child welfare
and the prevention and control
of Juvenile delinquency and to
review the annual budget request
before it is submitted to the Coun-
ty Manager.
The members of the Committee
are appointed by the Council for
a term of one year. The present
chairman is Mrs. Dorothy Him
stead. Since its creation, the
Committee has worked for a full
time magistrate, adequate deten-
ton facilities, the Summer Camp
Program for Underprivilegged
Children and the State Youth
Service Program.
In 1853, the Committee report
ed that two factors constantly
reappeared in behavior and neg.
lect cases, parental inadequacy
and chronic alcoholism. AS a
result, the County Health Depart
ment established an Alcoholic Re,
Mobilization Center in 1854.
Problems in the foreseeable
future that the Juvenile Court
and its Committee will be facing
are first of all the one which all
the departments OF the County
government have in common, -
the problem Of adequate staff tc
keep pace with the rapid growth
in population.
The Court has also reached the
point where it needs a full time
clinical psychologist with, even
tually, a full time clinical team
composed Of a psychiatrist, psy
biologist and psychiatric socia
worker. At present it uses the
services Of the Youth Service