Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-11


Davis said she was at a loss tC
understand the justification fol
Mr.. Pittman's statement at the
hearing. She said the operations
Iof the court had been studied by
two committees-including the
one to which Mrs. Freer referred
and the recommendations Of
both groups were now sub
lstantially in effect.
Letters Into Record
She asked that Mr.. Davis in
Iclude, in the hearing record, hel
letter and an exchange of cor
Irespondence between the eourt
and the association. Mr.. Davi.
said he would do so.
The latest in Judge Cockrill'.
long series of tangles with Other
Washington agencies stemmec
from the Criminal Justice Asso.
cations decision last summer tc
study the problem of juvenile
from arrest through
disposition of the cases anc
efforts at rehabilitation.
The association board ap'
proved the study after a prelim.
mary study of police files by Mrs
Sally Orrison, association direc.
tor, showed that during the pre-.
ceding five years, $50 juveniles
had been referred by police tx
the Juvenile Court six or more
times each.
Mr.. Pittman said he called fol
an appointment with Judge
Cockrill and got Mrs. Freer.
II told her." he said, that WI
understood there were severa
hundred boys who were six-timt
Irepeaters. She told me the court
didn't even have three-time re.
Ipeaters. She agreed, however, tt
talk to the Judge about our pro-
posed study"
Appointment Made
He said that when an appoint.
Iment was finally made with the
Judge and Mrs. Orrison went tt
see her, she was told the judge
was not available and talked in
stead with Mrs. Freer on Sep
TENDER 26.
Mrs. Freer, he said. commended
the judge had never allowed any
one outside the court to see the
records despite her contention
that previous studies had COW
cred the same ground. She added
that the judge would have te
know more about the study be-
fore she would consent to it.
On october %, Mrs. Orrisor
wrote Judge Cockrill asking hel
to reconsider the question of al
lowing the association to get the
disposition of certain cases al
discussed previously with Mrs
Freer.
1--WE are aware" Mrs. Orrisor
wrote, that the Juvenile Court
philosophy differs from that Of
the adult courts and surely are
in agreement with this philoso-
ply. However, when statistics
indicate that juveniles have beer
referred to Juvenile Court six OF
more times within one year. II
would appear that whatever
treatment or rehabilitation was
applied was not effective"
Practical Angles Cited
Judge Cockrill wrote in reply
that similar studies have not
been too productive. She added
that there were both legal anC
practical considerations.
I'VE do, Of course. have the
responsibility for maintaining
the confidentiality of court rec
ords," she went on. II think
it may be possible to adequately
safeguard these records for the
purpose of some research.
Practically. however. there is
the matter of having outside
people working within the court
and disrupting the work of reg
ular court personnel. At the
moment, I have before me sew.
eral requests for various types
of studies. Obviously, aside from
legal considerations, it is i'm
possible to honor all these re-
quests from a practical stand
point. I believe that each re-
quest must be considered on its
merits and in light of its value
to the court and to the com.
munity."
Judge Cockrill concluded BY
asking that Mrs. Orrison outline
u