News in Brief: A National Roundup

A federal judge last week overturned a juvenile curfew in the nations capital, dealing a setback to a popular remedy for teenage lawbreaking that has been embraced by cities across the country.

The District of Columbia curfew is unconstitutional because the City Council put the law into effect based on dubious information on juvenile crime, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan found in a 47-page opinion released Oct. 29. The council had no real evidence that young people under 17 commit more crimes during the curfew period than during other hours, the judge wrote.

City officials said a decision on whether to appeal...