Young toughs call it "kiddie court" because of its leniency; so do policemen and prosecutors. New York City Family Court, governed by strict laws designed to protect children and served by slack bureaucracies, primarily handles domestic disputes, but it is also where the kid criminals between seven and 15 are sent. TIME Bureau Chief Laurence I. Barrett watched delinquency proceedings in the Manhattan branch. His report:
Opened only last year, the $28 million black granite building in Lower Manhattan resembles a modern free-form museum or college library. Inside, the light, airy waiting area could be mistaken for an airport lounge. There...
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