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THE GREEN BAG

THE JUVENILE LAWS OF COLORADO BY BEN B. LINDSEY THERE are four principles involved in dent and neglected child law, the laws for the protection of children against cruelty, the the juvenile court law. nonsupport laws — and, in fact, every law The first is the principle of probation, and, in this country was first applied in Massa affecting a child or an adult who has offended chusetts. One of the three probation offi against the child. Of course, as a rule, adult cers provided by the city of Denver is con cases are tried on different days from chil stantly in the office, while the other two are dren's cases. The same court happens to be constantly on the go, investigating all kinds at the same time the busiest civil court in of cases in the city affecting children, and the state, which has somewhat handicapped looking after those children who have been the judge of the court in as much personal brought to the court under the system de work as might be done; but when one be comes truly interested in the children's court, vised. The city of Denver has two school attend and can see the wonderful results which we ance officers, appointed by the school board can see now — after nearly six years of under the compulsory education act. These experience — it is not a difficult matter to officers are factory inspectors, and they are spend after-hours and evenings for the sake active in the enforcement of the school law. of the work with and for the children, and One of the school attendance officers is a their work with and for you. A special woman, as is also one of the probation officers court for children's cases is in my judg A part of the work of the probation de ment very necessary in large cities, and if partment is obtaining work for boys of created it should have general common law working age, and relieving needy children. powers and jurisdiction in order to handle Much of this work is done through the the parent cases. In small cities it is believed Juvenile Improvement Association, which to be better to designate some court already is an auxiliary body to the Juvenile Court. existing, having unlimited jurisdiction, as The second is permitting a child to be the "Juvenile Court," and set aside special corrected in a chancery court of an act which days for children's cases. would otherwise constitute crime, if prose Third is the law, which, in substance, holds cuted in a criminal court, by charging the parents and other citizens legally responsi child with being a delinquent or a juvenile ble for the moral welfare of children under disorderly person. So far as I know, in this sixteen years of age. The first law of a country, this principle was first embodied general character of this kind was passed in in a statute known as the school law which the state of Colorado, as a part of its sowent into effect April 12, 1899, in the state called juvenile laws, and went into effect of Colorado, and in what is known as the three years ago, although before that time juvenile law, which went into effect June the school law in the state of Colorado was i, 1899, in the state of Illinois. very particular, more so than in most states, This court has unlimited jurisdiction to deal in holding parents responsible for the truancy •with all chancery cases or criminal cases, in and disorderly conduct of their children. volving children or those who offend against This law was, during the winter of 1905, children. In this court, before the same adopted in Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, judge, is enforced the child-labor law, the New York, New Jersey, Utah, Oregon. compulsory school law, the adult delinquent Kansas, and, I believe, several other states. law, the juvenile delinquent law, the depen It is substantially similar to the Colorado