police questioning a minor - procedural???

[E5RANGER375]

If a minor is only a witness then no parent is required. If the minor is a suspect than parents must be there. I don't know any officers who are going to try "frame" a minor who is a witness.

im sure there are some that would be happy to for the quick arrest. why risk it? my kid wont be speaking or signing anything

 

[1$Chuck]

How & why does a school kid have an Iphone in the first place? I'd bet dollars to donuts that he wasn't supposed to have that in the school in the first place.

 

[E5RANGER375]

How & why does a school kid have an Iphone in the first place? I'd bet dollars to donuts that he wasn't supposed to have that in the school in the first place.

kids arent supposed to have sex either but schools hand out condoms and teach them how to do it

 

[MrsXtremeVel]

I can't believe the police were called in the first place. I would think that a school administrator would have handled it before letting it get this far. At the elementary level where I work, I had a student steal a cell phone from a bus driver. I had a list of names of the kids on the bus, and found the phone in the desk of a 1st. grader. He got a phone call home, a written referral and a day in ISS. At the high school level I can see ISS or OSS, but calling the police over a PHONE should be a last resort.

 

[88GT]

If a minor is only a witness then no parent is required. If the minor is a suspect than parents must be there. I don't know any officers who are going to try "frame" a minor who is a witness.

You must have missed the discussion on the LEOs haranguing a 12y/o about a crime to his special needs sister that never took place. Not only did they harass him about his father's supposed guilt, they implied he was equally guilty, and lied out of their asses in order to get a confession. No representation was present for the duration of the "questioning."

 

[Love the 1911]

tell your kid never to sign or give any statement without you present. only a judge can force you to do something, and even then if your willing to get locked up you dont have to comply. if my kid stole, and I knew they were guilty, I wouldnt turn them over to the cops first, sorry! i would turn that ass cherry red when we got home and they would be giving whatever they stole back in person and manning up for their actions. then if the cops got involved so be it, but I, I, I, I, I, will be the one issuing first justice to my own children!

i dont believe police intervention is always the best first coarse of action in some cases. i would still feel like I failed as a parent though, because i know I would have raised the kid to know better and understand consequences to stupid actions. if the police got involved and the courts, the parents are the ones paying too. court and lawyers arent free, and since it my kid, im not gonna make tax payers foot the bill for a public defender when I would be the spawns father/

Big +1!!! When dealing with juveniles, if I find a parent that cares and can convince the victim of the crime to not object, I will always turn the child over to the parent. Most juveniles will learn a lot more from this course of action than putting them in front of a judge to have their butt chewed out.

 

[E5RANGER375]

I can't believe the police were called in the first place. I would think that a school administrator would have handled it before letting it get this far. At the elementary level where I work, I had a student steal a cell phone from a bus driver. I had a list of names of the kids on the bus, and found the phone in the desk of a 1st. grader. He got a phone call home, a written referral and a day in ISS. At the high school level I can see ISS or OSS, but calling the police over a PHONE should be a last resort.

I agree. no police should be involved in half the stuff regarding our kids that they are now. just part of the process to get people use to the new police state. a cop with a machine gun on every corner. be ready, it will come. for our safety of coarse

 

[philo]

What was the school's statement to you about this when you called to inquire?
If you didn't call...get on it.

@ JetGirl - the response was essentially what Annie Oakley says below.

If a minor is only a witness then no parent is required. If the minor is a suspect than parents must be there. I don't know any officers who are going to try "frame" a minor who is a witness.

@ Annie O - My son was the witness, no parents in attendance or even notified. His friend was the suspect, parents both on hand. However, since I don't personally know the kid making the accusation I can only work with what I've got. He and his family apparently have enough "juice" to get the school to call the police. My son has had several items stolen from the school in past years and was blown off by the administration. In our case stuff was stolen from a locked gym locker - really short list of potential students and staff with the combination. Nothing was done.

Unlike many on this forum, I have nothing but respect for the vast majority of LEO's. However, politics is politics and if the accuser's family has the "juice" to make the bogus charge against my son's friend stick and my son has coroborrated his story, it doesn't take a great leap of the imagination for my son to go from witness for his friend to accessory/accomplice in the eyes of the law.

You must have missed the discussion on the LEOs haranguing a 12y/o about a crime to his special needs sister that never took place. Not only did they harass him about his father's supposed guilt, they implied he was equally guilty, and lied out of their asses in order to get a confession. No representation was present for the duration of the "questioning."

@88GT - I haven't seen that discussion, but sadly it doesn't surprise me. Cops are human too, and as such, subject to the lesser parts of human nature as often as the general populace. They can occasionally take the easy way out and generate facts to fit their preconcieved notion of the situation they're dealing with. Not cop bashing, just pointing out that police along with priests, and politicians and others are not necessarily above the effects of human foibles.

Thanks all for your interest and reponses.

I have instructed the school administration that if a similar situation should ever arise in the future where my son might be interview/questioned/interrogated in any capacity whether witness, suspect, innocent bystander, or victim I or my wife are to be notified immediately.

 

[88GT]

@88GT - I haven't seen that discussion, but sadly it doesn't surprise me. Cops are human too, and as such, subject to the lesser parts of human nature as often as the general populace. They can occasionally take the easy way out and generate facts to fit their preconcieved notion of the situation they're dealing with. Not cop bashing, just pointing out that police along with priests, and politicians and others are not necessarily above the effects of human foibles.

Well, just to clarify, that wasn't intended as a slam on LE. Just an illustration that such behavior does take place.

I have instructed the school administration that if a similar situation should ever arise in the future where my son might be interview/questioned/interrogated in any capacity whether witness, suspect, innocent bystander, or victim I or my wife are to be notified immediately.

I wouldn't count on their compliance. Hopefully you've instructed your son to zip it except to say "Call my parents."

 

[philo]

Well, just to clarify, that wasn't intended as a slam on LE. Just an illustration that such behavior does take place.

I understood your meaning, and I agree with you that bad LEO behavior does happen, although rarely. I've seen it for myself though, so it's not quite as rare as hen's teeth but remember what they say "good news is no news" - you seldom hear about the many thousands of LEO's behaving themselves and being the everyday heros they are for entirely too little pay IMHO.

I wouldn't count on their compliance. Hopefully you've instructed your son to zip it except to say "Call my parents."

I have absolute faith that the school will do whatever they damn well please - had the talk with the boy.

 

[E5RANGER375]

another school bashing thread.

I LOVE it,

 

[Annie Oakley]

I wasn't saying that the idea of not being there when a child is questioned or asked to provide a statement is right.....was just saying that this is what the law allows. My personal opinion is that this whole situation was wrong from the get-go. My daughter was always trained to ask for her parents if she ended up in a situation like this. In this world having the "juice" is how it works. Doesn't make it right.

@ JetGirl - the response was essentially what Annie Oakley says below.



@ Annie O - My son was the witness, no parents in attendance or even notified. His friend was the suspect, parents both on hand. However, since I don't personally know the kid making the accusation I can only work with what I've got. He and his family apparently have enough "juice" to get the school to call the police. My son has had several items stolen from the school in past years and was blown off by the administration. In our case stuff was stolen from a locked gym locker - really short list of potential students and staff with the combination. Nothing was done.

Unlike many on this forum, I have nothing but respect for the vast majority of LEO's. However, politics is politics and if the accuser's family has the "juice" to make the bogus charge against my son's friend stick and my son has coroborrated his story, it doesn't take a great leap of the imagination for my son to go from witness for his friend to accessory/accomplice in the eyes of the law.



@88GT - I haven't seen that discussion, but sadly it doesn't surprise me. Cops are human too, and as such, subject to the lesser parts of human nature as often as the general populace. They can occasionally take the easy way out and generate facts to fit their preconcieved notion of the situation they're dealing with. Not cop bashing, just pointing out that police along with priests, and politicians and others are not necessarily above the effects of human foibles.

Thanks all for your interest and reponses.

I have instructed the school administration that if a similar situation should ever arise in the future where my son might be interview/questioned/interrogated in any capacity whether witness, suspect, innocent bystander, or victim I or my wife are to be notified immediately.