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Does my child have to talk to police again?

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Ashlec

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

My child found a bomb threat note on the mirror in the bathroom at the local high school. They reported it to the office immediately and the school was evacuated and my child was questioned by school administrators and local deputies. They had my child write a paragraph to compare the hand writing to the note found and they concluded it was not a match. they had my child give a written statement along with answer a number of questions then my child was released and told they where done and that my child was not a suspect. The following day another child found another note in a different bathroom and they evacuated the school again. They brought my child back up again that afternoon and asked a few more questions and asked for another written statement which was provided. Again my child was sent back to class and told that they where not a suspect. That night we (parents) told the child not to have any more discussions without us present. The next day they called our child back to the office again for more questions and this time our child told them they wouldn't talk with out a parent present so they called my wife and she went to the school and met with a detective and school administration. they only asked a couple of questions and sent them on home. That was 2 weeks ago. Today we received a call from a detective and he said he had been assigned to the case and wanted our lawyers name and number so he could schedule a time to question our child. I told him that we didn't have an attorney and he said he had heard we did and I told him again no we didn't. I asked why he needed to speak with our child again and explained that they had been interviewed several times and that they had given 2 written statements about what they knew. He said it was his choice to interview them and that he wasn't sure if he had already spoken to our child at school or not and asked when would be a good time. I told him ok and that tomorrow afternoon after school would be good. he said he would check his schedule and get back to me. My question is. does my child have to continue to talk to them? I think they have asked enough and they are just on a fishing expedition trying to trip someone up. Any advice would be appreciated.
 


justalayman

Senior Member
No and you and your child would be wise to not discuss anything without a lawyer present. It's too serious to be trying to mess up.
 

adjusterjack

Senior Member
Referring to a high school student as a child is a bit misleading but if he's between the ages of 14 and 18 you'd better get a lawyer as there is something going on there if the police keep going back to him.
 

quincy

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

My child found a bomb threat note on the mirror in the bathroom at the local high school. They reported it to the office immediately and the school was evacuated and my child was questioned by school administrators and local deputies. They had my child write a paragraph to compare the hand writing to the note found and they concluded it was not a match. they had my child give a written statement along with answer a number of questions then my child was released and told they where done and that my child was not a suspect. The following day another child found another note in a different bathroom and they evacuated the school again. They brought my child back up again that afternoon and asked a few more questions and asked for another written statement which was provided. Again my child was sent back to class and told that they where not a suspect. That night we (parents) told the child not to have any more discussions without us present. The next day they called our child back to the office again for more questions and this time our child told them they wouldn't talk with out a parent present so they called my wife and she went to the school and met with a detective and school administration. they only asked a couple of questions and sent them on home. That was 2 weeks ago. Today we received a call from a detective and he said he had been assigned to the case and wanted our lawyers name and number so he could schedule a time to question our child. I told him that we didn't have an attorney and he said he had heard we did and I told him again no we didn't. I asked why he needed to speak with our child again and explained that they had been interviewed several times and that they had given 2 written statements about what they knew. He said it was his choice to interview them and that he wasn't sure if he had already spoken to our child at school or not and asked when would be a good time. I told him ok and that tomorrow afternoon after school would be good. he said he would check his schedule and get back to me. My question is. does my child have to continue to talk to them? I think they have asked enough and they are just on a fishing expedition trying to trip someone up. Any advice would be appreciated.
In your second sentence you say "they" reported the bomb threat note that was found in the bathroom. Are you using "they" to disguise the sex of your child or was there more than one person in the bathroom when the first note was discovered?

I agree with justalayman that it is time you had an attorney for your child when s/he is questioned again. It is possible that your child had bathroom passes at the same time both of the notes were found and s/he is more of a suspect than the officials are willing to disclose right now or it is possible that the discoverer of the second note is being questioned as thoroughly as your own child is.

Whatever the case, the fact that your child has been questioned several times since the discovery of the first note is good reason to have an attorney present during any additional questioning so your child's rights are protected. I suspect that this is less a "fishing expedition" and more a hope by officials that your child saw something (or remembers something) that might help lead to the writer of the notes.
 
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CdwJava

Senior Member
There are valid reasons to speak to important witnesses more than a couple of times. Different investigators may have different questions, and each will want to get a feel for the most important witness themselves.

But, since the student may well be a suspect, they should speak to counsel all the same.

Unless a bomb was actually discovered (exceedingly rare when a note is actually left) it is odd that they are exerting such effort on what is likely a student bomb threat designed to get kids out of class (or a test, quiz, PE, etc.).
 

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