| Show t A Washington ii Ii I H BT By RODNEY RODNE DUTCHER I WASHINGTON July 22 When 22 When a achild achild child chUd is brought Into federal court to face tace charges of helping father rather tend a astill astill still delivering a n bottle of bootleg liquor stealing an automobile or robbing a postoffice it makes a lot lotof lotof lotof of difference what kind of a judge Is on the bench Some Bome federal Judges told old Investigators gators for the Wickersham committee commit commit- tee during Its study of the child offender and his treatment by Uncle Sam that they saw no good reason for tor making distinction be between between between be- be tween child and adult offenders Others sold said they refused to try children children chil chU- dren when they were within Juvenile court age and a local Juvenile agency would take care of the thc case Inequality of treatment of Juvenile delinquents is also alro intimated In the committees committee's report where it asserts In Iii some districts the policy polley is to commit almost all to institutions in others to commit none One Judge said he sentenced minors as a n rule rue only when they came from ignorant and impoverished families as that would enable them to learn a trade Some go on the theory that a federal federal federal fed fed- eral correctional institution is a n superior type of boarding school and others regard it as a last resort for tor a a. hardened offender IN rN COURT AT iT AGE OF 7 I In some rome districts no young children children chil chil- dren are prosecuted for lor prohibition violations on the principle that the adults are to blame for tor the offense oense But in one case three brothers aged 13 15 and 16 were sentenced for lor three years and the father and an older brother sentenced to a penitentiary pen peni after conviction for manufacturIng manufacturing manu manu- liquor on their farm Children under 7 I years have been bean brought before United States commissioners com corn missioners it was found and others of similar age are detained in Jail awaiting outcome of cases in which parents face immigration charges Among young oung federal prisoners prison prison- ers whose cases were studied In 10 Institutions there were found two aged aRed 10 10 three aged 11 three aged 12 12 10 age aged 13 and eight aged 14 The report doesn't name the offenses for which these kids had been sentenced but of ot the group were In for violating violating vio yb- lating the Dyer automobile theft thelt act 44 for prohibition violations and 39 for offending against the postal laws Of 2243 boys and girls under 18 held on federal charges In the last half of last year however cr 44 per cent cent were Involved in prohibition cases 22 per cent In immigration cases 17 per cent in automobile thefts and 5 per cent in postal cases There is no legal age limit beneath which a a. child cannot be prosecuted under federal laws although the Wickersham commission found no federal prisoner anywhere under 9 years of age its assertion indicates that Uncle Sam has a year old boy cooped up somewhere who had ac actually actually ac- ac been sentenced and commit commit- ted Under the federal Judicial code the he chUd child offender r ls Is 01 on the he same same looting rooting as tile the adult and there Is no definition of at Juvenile delinquency as there is ie in laws of all states except Maine Hence the wide use we of 0 discretion dIscretion discretion dis dIs- dis- dis by the Judges IN COURT WITHOUT PARENTS Courts also use use their discretion as to whether parents should be notified notified noti not fied lied when children are brought be before before before be- be fore the court In many instances It appears the thc parents do not know the date of trial and children frequently frequently frequently fre fre- fre- fre are committed when neither a parent nor a lawyer Is present In some federal districts careful attention attention attention atten atten- tion Is given to childrens children's cases by judges In others Judges may dispose dispose dis- dis pose of 70 or 80 cases in half a day and antI children are led out almost as if soon as they can be sentenced fIn f. f Iz In other communities it was M found Juvenile courts were hearing and disposing of cases of child of of- o offenders fenders tenders against federal laws by ar at sr 1 These Interesting facts about th the tho s way federal Judges and prosecutors i act net toward children were genen generally lly obscured In the mild mUd sensation caused t by the WIckersham commissions commission's ions charges of ot harsh disciplinary me urea In federal institutions and ve very bad conditions in Jails JaUs where juvenile federal prisoners are often kept But the inference from the whole report t is that luck and geography arc lU likely i to determine the kind of a break th the J kids get get from from the time of arrest to tot 1 I the time of their rele release c. c t |
