MARVIN MANDEL, Governor

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the current attitudes, programs, services, and procedures
of our juvenile justice system are in need of review, in
order to determine whether and how the system can be made
more responsive to the needs of our children; and

WHEREAS, It is important, as a first step, that the
law of juvenile causes be made uniform throughout the
State, in order to avoid the chaos which would result
from a judicial determination that separate and unequal
systems in the State constitute a denial of equal
protection of the laws and are therefore
unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, With a uniform law and the avoidance of the
most serious impending threat to the underlying base of
the juvenile justice system, the determination of what
substantive, structural, and organizational changes in
the system may be advantageous can proceed in a calm and
rational manner; and

WHEREAS, Although the determination of what the
policies, programs, and law relating to juvenile services
is a legislative matter, because of the complexities of
the matter, the conflicting viewpoints concerning it, and
the recent developments in this area, the General
Assembly should have before it the considered opinion and
recommendations of those persons most closely associated
with and knowledgeable about the system; and

WHEREAS, It is not feasible to expect that a
meaningful consensus of informed opinion can be arrived
at during the remaining term of the 1975 Session; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That

1. The Commission on Juvenile Justice be created,
It shall consist of 15 persons, appointed as follows:

(a)   One person shall be a member of the House
Judiciary Committee and shall be appointed from the House
of Delegates by the Speaker;

(b)  One person shall be a member of the Senate
Judicial Proceedings Committee and shall be appointed
from the Senate by the President;

(c)  Two judges shall be appointed by the Chief
Judge of the Court of Appeals, one of whom shall have had
significant experience sitting in juvenile court, and one
of whom shall have had significant experience sitting in
criminal court;

(d)  Eleven persons shall be appointed by the