Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 52.djvu/638

 52 STAT.] 75TH CONG. , 3D SESS.-CH. 309-JUNE 1, 1938 "SEC. 6 . JURISDICTION.- 1. CHILDREN.- Except as herein otherwise provided, the court shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction of all cases and in proceedings: "(a) Concerning any child coming within the terms and provi- sions of this Act. "(b) Concerning any person under twenty-one years of age charged with having violated any law, or violated any ordinance or regulation of the District of Columbia, prior to having become eighteen years of age, subject to appropriate statutes of limitation. "(c) To determine the paternity of any child alleged to have been born out of wedlock and to provide for his support in accordance with the provisions of an Act providing for the support and main- tenance of children born out of wedlock, approved June 18, 1912 (D. C. Code, title 18, sees. 281-287); in which cases the respondent shall be entitled to jury trial unless he shall voluntarily waive such right and request trial by the court. (d) To determine the custody or guardianship of the person of any child coming within the provisions of this Act. "Nothing contained herein shall deprive other courts of the right to determine the custody of children upon writs of habeas corpus, or when such custody is incidental to the determination of causes pend- ing in such courts. "When jurisdiction shall have been obtained by the court in the case of any child, such child shall continue under the jurisdiction of the court until he becomes twenty-one years of age unless discharged prior thereto: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall affect the jurisdiction of other courts over offenses committed by such child after he reaches the age of eighteen. "2. ADrLTs.-T he court shall have original and exclusive juris- diction to determine cases of adults charged with willfully contrib- uting to, encouraging, or tending to cause by any act or omission any condition which would bring a child within the provisions of this Act. "The court shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia in all cases involving children arising under the Act entitled 'An Act making it a misdemeanor in the District of Columbia to abandon or willfully neglect to provide for the support and maintenance by any person of his wife or of his or her minor children in destitute or necessitous circumstances', approved March 23, 1906 (D. C . Code, title 6, secs. 270-273). "SEC. 7. INFORMATION; INVESTIGATION; PETITION.-Whenever any person shall give to the director of social work of the court, or other officer of the court duly designated as his representative, information in his possession that a child is within the provisions of this Act, it shall be the duty of a duly designated officer of the court to make preliminary investigation to determine whether the interests of the public or of the child require that further action be taken and report his finding, together with a statement of the facts, to the director of social work. Whenever practicable such inquiry shall include a preliminary investigation of the home and environmental situa- tion of the child, his previous history, and the circumstances which were the subject of the information. If the director of social work finds that jurisdiction should be acquired, he shall, after consulta- tion with and approval by the corporation counsel or assistant cor- poration counsel assigned to the court, authorize a petition to be filed. In any case in which said director fails to so find, the person giving information to the director may present the facts to the cor- poration counsel or his assistant, who, after investigation by an officer Jurisdiction. Children. General provisions. Offenders, under 21 years. Children born out of wedlock; determi- nation of paternity, support. 37 Stat. 134 . 18 D.C. Code §§281- 287. Custody or guard- ianship. Right of other courts to determine custody upon writs of habeas corpus, etc. Continuation of ju- risdiction when once obtained until age of 21; exception. Proviso. Jurisdiction over offenses committed after age of 18. Adults. Contributing to de- linquency, etc., of children. Concurrent jurisdic- tion in abandonment, etc., cases. 34 Stat. 86 . 6D.C.Code§270- 273. Information. Investigation. Filing of petition. 597

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