226                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 151

or from justice, or whose surroundings are such as to endanger his
health, morals, or safety unless immediate action is taken. In every
such case the officer taking the child into custody shall immediately
report the fact to the Court and the case shall then be proceeded with
us provided herein.

70L. (Hearings.) (a) The Court shall conduct all hearings in an
informal manner, and may adjourn the hearings from time to time.
In the hearing of any case the general public may be excluded at the
discretion of the Court, and only such persons as have a direct in-
terest in the case and their representatives admitted. All cases in-
volving children may be heard separately and apart from the trial
of cases against adults. The Court shall hear and determine all cases
of children without a jury.

(b)   If the Court shall find that the child comes within the pro-
visions of this sub-title, it may by order duly entered proceed as
follows:

(1)   Place the child on probation or under supervision in his own
home or in the custody of a relative or other fit person, upon such
terms as the Court shall determine.

(2)   Commit the child to a public or licensed private institution or
agency; or to the Montgomery County Welfare Board.

(S) Make such further disposition of the child as may be pro-
vided by law and as the Court may deem to be for the best interests
of the child.

(c)  Whenever a child is committed by the Court to custody other
than that of its parent, the Court may, after giving the parent a rea-
sonable opportunity to be heard, adjudge that such parent shall pay
in such manner as the Court may direct such sum as will cover in
whole or in part the support of such child, and if such parent shall
willfully fail or refuse to pay such sum, he may be proceeded against
as provided by law for cases of desertion or failure to provide sub-
sistence, and the mother of such child may be proceeded against in
the same manner as the father.

(d)   Whenever the Court shall commit a child to any institution
or agency, it shall transmit with the order of commitment a summary
of its information concerning such child.

(e)  No adjudication upon the status of any child in the jurisdiction
of the Court shall operate to impose any of the civil disabilities ordi-
narily imposed by conviction, nor shall any child be deemed a crim-
inal by reason of such adjudication, nor shall such adjudication be
deemed a conviction of a crime, nor shall any child be charged with
or convicted of a crime in any court, except that in the case when a
child 16 years of age or over is charged with an offense which would
amount to a felony in the case of an adult, the Judge, after full in-
vestigation, may waive jurisdiction and order such child held for
trial under the regular procedure of the Court which would have
jurisdiction of such offense if committed by an adult; or such other
Court may exercise the powers conferred upon the Juvenile Judge
in this chapter in conducting and disposing of such case. The dis-