OCR Text |
Show ;.:::5N," . ceclhres jibs ; -la a arp sarcastic letter to ths JuTenila Court connntoion toll inoTn-14 inoTn-14 Jnvenlls Court Jndfs Willi Brown flatly refused to resign from nl post- ; tion. Ho -declare, it difficult to be Uero that the past confidence of tno commission "Have boon kypocritlcsi." ( Ha also strongly crlticlsM tno decision of ; the Eufremt court in referring; to Mm. Court attaches regard Brown's letter t. "play to the galleries." Judge Brown assert that the letter presented to him by the commission, asking for bis resignation, was the first intimation that he was "unfit" fas-the place, and that the request" can. M complete surprise." Was Asked to Besign. Thi is denied by the commission and borne out' by the records of the meeting meet-ing of the commission. According to the minute of the last session, Judge Brown "Was called before the commissioners,- The reeords say that Mayor Thompson said: "Judge Brown, we are of the nnani- ; mou opinion that you should resign from your position.'' The reply is reported to have been, "I don't agree with vou," then Brown is said to hare left the room. It ir also understood that the day . following the issuance of the Supreme : court opinion, one of the members of the commision told Judge Brown that if he had any personal pride he would resign at once. May Force Him Out. Tire commission now finds itself in a peculiar predicament. As Brown was appointed for a certain length of time, : he contends that be does not have to resign. The matter fas discussed at length before the commission this morning morn-ing and Assistant City Attorney H. J. Dininny was called in as counsel. He was requested to give on opinion a : soon as possible a to what can be done to remove Brown. Judge Brown' letter let-ter is as follows: "Gentlemen: In -replying to your communication of the 22nd, in order that I may be perfectly understood in the decision I make, I am constrained ia this letter to call to your attention a few facts relative to the Juvenile court, its law and the position which I new hold by virtue of the appointment from the commission which preceded the one which now asks for my resignation. resig-nation. "First.. In the begining the people of this city and State accorded me the confidence of inviting me here to -agitate method and law which would assist in the reclamation of the children. chil-dren. Those who had been for years agitating this question rallied to the support, and as a result we secured a Juvenile court law. Helped Prepare law. "Second A newcomer and almost a stranger, the commission, in spite of great opposition, selected me as the first Judge of Utah's first Juvenile court, and to administer a law with which I had much to do in preparing. Entirely eliminatinng everything which would suggest an ulterior motive, at great personal sacrifice and amidst financial hardships, I conducted the court, with a single purpose of making it a life saving station' for children, and a court to be loved by every child in the community. "Third After nearly a year's gratuitous gratu-itous service (for I expended all of the meager salary of $16 per month back in the court). I resigned, without any prearranged plan as to reappointment, feeling conscious that in this length of time the commission, and community at large, had an opportunity to become acquainted with me and my methods. "Fourth With mv reappointment at a maximum salary allowed by law, and the universal support offered our court by the citizens of the city, I felt justified justi-fied in the conclusion that mv adminis- tration of the honorable position was indorsed. To further strengthen me in this belief, I found ready and eager support for (1) the Morris school; () a farm home for bovs; (3) additional probation officers; (4) a juvenile band and various boys' club and enterprises; (5) a building for juvenile betterment, made possible by the donation of Mr. Samuel Newhouse. Indorsed By Educators. '"Fifth The splendid support, cooperation co-operation and expression of confidence extended to the court end officers bv the principals of the public schools, and their published official reports, of the benefits of our methods in checking truancy and incorrigibility in the public pub-lic schools. "8ixth Greatest of all. the cheer and confidence given me by over 800 bovs who have come before me; willing t do their best to overcome mistakes: li v-ing. v-ing. not fearing the law; helping, not hindering one another; going to places of detention alone; coming to court willingly on a simple requet; and calling call-ing me friend rather than their judge. "These facts, and the farther indorsement indorse-ment that your commission, both as a body and individually has given inc. bv kind words, granting of rfues:s for things needed, indorsement of plans and methods for more efficient work, and commendations for accomplishments, leave me no other alternative thin to decide to remain for the present in the position and in the work which you ask me to summarily give up. The f;ct. that you base your request soled v rpon the Mills decision makes it com 1 ueivc that I should arrive at this decision. "I wish to add that your request comes as a complete 'surprise to me. Never "have you intimated up to the time of the writing of your letter that you have considered me iinsuit ilde lor this honorable position. It is difficult fcr me to believe that voar past confidences confi-dences have been hypocritical, and that your sudden, conversion :o .1 belief in my unfitness comes from the personal views of others, who, though superior in position than any of us. cannot expect ex-pect their well defined statement nt-aig-nated as such by them and as not hiving hiv-ing any legal significance in the c,(ej-sion. c,(ej-sion. to be of more weight than the opinion of others who possess the ordinary ordi-nary faculties of observation and expression. ex-pression. 'I thank you most cordially for your verv kind expression and rommt-n lation and appreciation of my wcrk in the past two years. But evidently my faithful and conscientious' work argues !.;it little lit-tle in comparison to a personal expression expres-sion adverse to me and admittedly made on very meager records. "If anything connected with this splendid Supreme court decision svstk;n-ing svstk;n-ing our law in court has "neutralized the purpose for which it was instituted' I believe that it has been the sensational sensation-al magnifying of an undeserved opinion opin-ion ot mvselt, in which vour commission commis-sion verv recently seems t : hae joined, ftespectf uU v submitted. I "WILLIS BROWN, Judge." |