Part I – It starts again..
I am sitting home waiting and waiting on Juvenile hall to call me to let me know HOW LONG MY SON WILL BE IN JUVENILE HALL. I received a call from SAC PD that my SON IS BEING TAKEN TO JUVENILE HALL. I CRIED and asked WHY. The officer said, because he has a light rail ticket that he failed to appear on. I TOLD THEM I NEVER RECEIVED A TICKET IN THE MAIL. I SWEAR I NEVER RECEIVED A TICKET. Why was he even STOPPED and asked for ID?? HOW can you take him to JUVENILE HALL IF I NEVER RECEIVED A TICKET IN THE MAIL INFORMING ME OF A COURT DATE???? I cried, “HOW DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE DIDN’T USE HIS NAME and MAYBE THAT’S WHY I NEVER RECEIVED A TICKET; IT NEVER CAME TO MY HOUSE….” She said Mam, you have to take that up with them. He’ll be at juvenile hall and hung up.
WELL NO ONE from Juvenile hall has called me YET!!!!!! WHEN I CALLED I WAS TOLD I HAVE TO Wait until he is processed. Tomorrow my son will be 16 years old. And today he spends his first day in Juvenile Hall. AND when I get him..
1) If he has a light rail ticket AFTER I WARNED HIM not to ride on the light rail without paying; I will deal with him…..I WILL DEBRIEF HIM FROM THE ENCOUNTER WITH JUVENILE HALL AND WITH THE SPD
2) I WILL deal with the SPD –in order for him to be asked for ID they better had a very good reason…
3) I WILL deal with the court who issued a WARRANT on a ticket I NEVER RECEIVED. I WILL NOT ALLOW A CITY TO TAKE ANOTHER CHILD OF MINE. I stay on this child… No matter how much this hurts to write I feel it is necessary to warn others so you can talk to your children. My son knows better than to ride the light rail without paying. AND HE HAS A MONTHLY BUS PASS STICKER
Part II – My son is finally home but…
I finally received a call from juvenile hall. I was told “It is minor, we will release him. You can come pick him up.’ I asked why he was taken there. I was told, “a warrant for failure to appear on a light rail ticket”. Again, I explained I never received a ticket in the mail. I was told, “This happens”.
1) WELL IF IT HAPPENS then perhaps someone needs to do something about it so it doesn’t have to happen unnecessarily. I asked to speak with my son. Shortly after wards my son was allowed to call me. I asked him if in fact he had a light rail ticket. He said, ‘mom I told them I don’t have a ticket. I haven’t rode the light rail. I ride the bus. I told the officer I don’t have a light rail ticket and the officer said MAYBE SOMEONE USED YOUR NAME”. This is the same thing I told the officer AND MY PROBLEM IS IF THE OFFICER KNEW SOMEONE COULD OF USED HIS NAME (because in this environment it HAPPENS often–just check court records on people appearing and see ALL THE ALIAS used)
2) IF THE OFFICER KNEW IN ADVANCE IT WAS POSSIBLE THE TICKET WASN’T HIS WHY TAKE HIM TO JUVENILE HALL? At juvenile hall he’ll be sited out with a court date to appear on December 8. MY PROBLEM WITH THIS IS WHY DIDN’T THE OFFICER SITE HIM OUT AT THE SCENE?? Why take him to juvenile hall “IF YOU KNOW IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME”Once I get to juvenile hall and wait for him to be processed out I asked for a copy of the ticket and the date the light rail incident was to occur. I wanted to see his signature… and the address which was given. They don’t have a copy of the ticket…But it will be provided in court on the 8th. My son comes out with his juvenile hall wrist band, laces out his shoes, clear plastic bag with the yellow property sheet…And deja vous an attitude to match. I know the misguided symptoms and I WILL REDIRECT HIM. HE WILL KNOW he is not a criminal. I WON’T allow an overzealous officer with attitudes to teach him otherwise.
3) Yes, my son was rightfully pulled over. It appears he jay walked across the street. (when he walked out the juvenile hall gated door he said, “I’m never jay walking again” Could the lesson have been learned with a citation and release on a cited promise to appear on the alleged light rail matter? MOST DEFINITELY. But not when it comes to our children. Round them up and ”he’s going to juvie” like it’s a trip to chucky cheese. My son said mom I got off the bus walked across the street no cars were around…and out of no where officers were all around me. I guess they were behind McDonald’s because I didn’t see any cars not police cars or any cars coming. I know it can happen I’ve seen it more times than I can comment. Perhaps with all the warnings I’ve given him it may have slipped my mind to tell him he can get a ticket for not using the crosswalk…and I’ve seen officers posted in parking lots adjacent to bus stops and ticketing youth all the time.
4) My son was searched by the officer (I have a problem with that because HE has constitutional rights and while some may feel our children should rightfully give up their civil/ constitutional rights. I disagree– I’ve seen too many later loose their human rights–right to be treated as a human being once they begin to give up their civil rights–and once they no longer feel as though they are FREE people. MY SON IS NOT ON PROBATION–NOT FORMAL OR INFORMAL AND CERTAINLY NOT ON PAROLE.
5) The officer took my son’s phone and started going through it and looking at the pictures on the phone. WHICH HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH JAY WALKING or an alleged light rail ticket. One picture he is smiling holding up a PEACE SIGN. He’s IGNORANTLY asked ”What sign is this, who are you with”. He replies, it’s a peace sign I don’t gang bang. He is not wearing any “gang colors or clothing, no tattoos, no record…” The officer makes additional small talk which was actually entrapment trying to manipulate him into thinking she was his friend (A FRIEND WHO WOULDN’T SITE HIM ON A CITE-ABLE WARRANT) She made small talk asking if he has PETS… ALL THE WHILE SHE’S SEARCHING HIM.My son now knows because I explained it to him on the way home she didn’t give a darn if he had pets. If she cared about him HE WOULDN’T OF WENT TO JUVENILE HALL ON an infraction. THAT WAS AN EXCUSE TO TAKE HIS MIND AWAY FROM THE FACT SHE WAS SEARCHING HIM WITHOUT WARRANT, WITHOUT CAUSE, WITHOUT THE LAW BEHIND HER.I explained to my son prior what to do if ever detained from officers but when it actually happened he was confused. WHAT I should have explained is the DECEITFUL BEHAVIOR, the trickery….. NOW, he will know better. This officer TRIED to FIND A REASON to make my son a gang member, but FAILED.
6) He’s taken to juvenile hall and he is again searched and told to remove his clothes. HE WAS NOT SITED FOR THE JAY WALKING TICKET–since he was yards from the cross walk I imagine. BUT THE light rail ticket causes you to sit in the holding cell with your socks, T-Shirt and boxers?????????
7) He kept being called out the cell thinking I WAS there and having his hopes up and then told to go back. My son said “Mom they play games, they knew I was nervous waiting on you and they kept making me think you were there…. WHEN MY OLDER SON WAS ONCE IN JUVENILE HALL HE ALSO COMPLAINED OF HOW THEY PLAY WITH YOU. IT IS NOT A GAME and I DO NOT APPRECIATE CHILD LIKE BEHAVIOR FROM ADULTS WHO CAN BREAK THE SPIRIT OF OUR CHILDREN OR CAUSE THEM TO BECOME ANGRY when they are already in a situation which causes stress…
I’m TOLD the officer could have and should have sited my son on the scene with a court date. Their was no reason to take him to juvenile hall they have cases with ADULTS with more than ONE light rail failure to appear. Everyone I TALKED TO at juvenile hall told ME “it’s NOT SERIOUS” So if it is not serious WHY THE HECK TAKE HIM TO JUVENILE HALL????
My son is not a liar and I am not in denial. If he said he didn’t ride the light rail without paying then I believe him. This child will not lie to me… I can understand the mistake because I KNOW people give names of others….BUT it’s everything else that occurred I WILL NOT accept. And since I already dealt with my son’s action OF JAY WALKING now I will deal with theirs and debrief my son who could be like so many other teens who are impressionable and THINK it was COOL to have a bunch of girls… looking at him in the back of a police car. I’ve SEEN IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN WHEN OUR YOUTH ARE TREATED LIKE SUSPECTS and begin to behave as such.
It is disturbing and it is UNACCEPTABLE. And for the officer, juvenile hall to think it’s not a BIG DEAL I guess I’ll have to show them that it is. And my son’s experience with officers turned out to be negative due to the one officers entire rude attitude. One played nice while searching and the other was absolutely rude as if she apprehended America’s most wanted walking across the street exiting a bus.
Now that I’ve taken care of my son breaking the law BY JAY WALKING. I will file complaints on the ADULTS for their illegal and unprofessional behavior.
I’ll send an update on Dec 8.
R.E.
