Evening star., 1961-06-23
Juvenile Court Bill
Draws Heavy Fire
But Committee
Remains Firm
On Its Changes

Members of the House Dis
trict Committee today stood
Solidly behind their bill to re-
organize the District Juvenile
Court in the face of unanimous
opposition of the Judicial Con-
ference.
Committeeman privately
have dismissed much of the
substance of conference argu-
ments by reasoning that it is
the natural resistance of the
judiciary to an overhaul by the
legislative branch.
Il emphasize that this action
lin opposition) was taken
unanimously by all the judges
of our circuit and by the law
yers whom they have desig-
mated to sit with them as mem
bers of the Judicial Confer
ence," stressed John T. Koch
lei, chairman of the conference
committee on juvenile court
needs.
Three Judges Opposed
This includes specifically the
three judges most directly af-
fected - the Juvenile Court
Judge and the chief judges of
the Municipal Court and the
District Court.
Mr.. Koehler said judges were
against lowering the age limit
of juveniles from 18 to Is,
protested against public iden-
tity of juveniles and favored
abolishing jury trials for all
juvenile cases.
They favored the addition of
two judges to the juvenile
court bench. insisting that the
approach of a House District
subcommittee would violate
the basic concept of juvenile
court.
The subcommittee bill, on
which hearings are continuing,
would set up the new autono-
nous Juvenile Court as a
branch of Municipal Court and
authorize one more Municipal
Court judge who could be as
signed to juvenile cases.
Youngsters Is and older
would be treated as adults in
District courts, under the bill.
and 15-yeaf-olds could be sent
before adult court judges at
the discretion of Juvenile Court.
The Juvenile Court Judge
could make public proceedings
involving any teen-agers IA or
older.
representative Davis, Demo-
rat OF Georgia, chairman of the
subcommittee which drafted
the bill, asked Mr.. Koehler to
relate his theory to a teen-aeed
rapist and a youngster who as
saulted a policeman recently.
When Mr.. Koehler said he was
not familiar with the cases. the
Congressman snapped:
I'VE are dealing with facts
here. not opinions"
Question of Experience
Chairman Davis also charged
that the only member of Mr..
Koehler's committee who had
legal experience in Juvenile
Court was District Corporation
Counsel Chester Gray, who has
backed the Davis bill.
The second witness. G. How
land Shaw, ventured that he
had had such experience. as
chairman of the law committee
of the National Council on
Crime and Delinquency, vice
chairman of the District Com
Youth Council, and
a member of the District Ju-
venile Court advisory commit
tee. The retired Assistant Secre-
tary of State also has been a
board member of three training
schools for juvenile delinquents
and the paroling authority at
those schools.
Il urge legislation to provide
two additional judges in the
Juvenile Court as presently or
ganized." Mr.. Shaw said. II am
opposed to the House subcom-
mlttee bill"
The Davis subcommittee
found a champion in Mrs.
Ernest w. Howard, represent
ing the Federation of Women's
Clubs. She wanted the age low
cred and the Juvenile Court
set up with two judges in Mu-
nicipal Court.