Shoplifting
I am not an attorney, nor am I giving legal advice. I am not going to nail you to the wall either. What I have are questions and suggestions. I do teach Shoplfiting courses statewide for various judicial branches and law enforcement. If I understand correctly, when your daughter was arrested in September, the intake superviser at Juvenile Court wanted your daughter to go to DHS as a diversion, correct? Did they give her 90 days to complete this? Most of the time, that is what is ordered and it should be done no matter what. This is your child's future, embarking upon penetrating the criminal justice system. Therefore, should have been done ASAP.
You should make the appointment with DHS immediately! If you have to miss work, take a sick day. And by no means, blame your child. You claim you received a summons to go to court. Also, you mentioned a warrant? My question is, did anybody ever show up at court at all? Courts are very serious about juveniles and diverting them. This was a second chance in achieving that. You should also have your child enroll in a Shoplifting course immediately for rehabilitation purposes. Most who steal, reportedly have confessed to doing it many times before being caught. This is a problem.
I can give info on that but need to know where you are located, in which county. Was the summons for a "Child in Need of Services?" By all means, show up at court. The judge will without a doubt, ask why wasn't any of this done. Here we are in March, and I know everyone has seen a lot of nice weather. The Judge did too. You can give him excuses but this is your kid......unless there was no way possible to meet the Honorable Judge's order, excuses will make it tough for you.
A suggestion, you should provide the help your daughter needs, and keep her in the counseling program for a few weeks or so. I am not trying to point a finger at you but this really should have been handled way before the judge even ordered it. Let me break this down:
1. Get her the help NOW. Do not view it as punishment. Don't blame your child for you or another adult not showing up in court.
2. Both of you go to court, be prepared for fines. Ask for a second chance. Be honest about the real reasons why this was not a priority. Take accountability, or your daughter will learn not to.
3. Be respectful to the Judge. This is not his fault.
4. Expect to deal with this entirely and do not give up on your daughter.
Did she have to do any community service? If not, you as the parent, should get in contact with local youth serving agencies and ask your daughter to pick one out of her choice to volunteer for. Maybe an hour on Friday, cleaning or tutoring. It is up to you to help her rebuild self-esteem among a list of things. This will be a good way for her to give back. Just contact me for more info on Shoplifting via post if you would like. It is unfortunate that legal documents have to scare people into adhering to the law and time does escape us. BUT you still have a chance and should talk to an attorney and ask legal questions. as far as any legal concerns. Bottom line: Show up in court.
What is the name of your state? Oklahoma
My daughter was "arrested" for shoplifting last September. We have had two appointments with DHS to discuss this, both of which we had to miss, one because of school, and the other because of an ice storm, therefore, we never met with them. Today I received a summons to appear in court concerning this matter, which is fine, however, it seems to state that the court has custody of my daughter, and may take her away from me, is this possible? And, she was informed today that there are bench warrants out for both her, and myself. What should my next step be?What is the name of your state?
