son in trouble

maryland my 17 year old son was staying out all night with his 19 year old friends so I had them refer him to juvenile services so his ex probation officer could let him know that this could result in him being placed in a home if it continued. She stated this to him, but 3 days later he decided to stay out with his friends at a party. I had the police pick him up and bring him home they tested him for alcohol and it was positive. Next morning he ran away afraid of being placed in a home. for a month he was gone I had the police searching for him and after a month I found him. He stated he would go back to school and work at Taco bell. He did. His so called adult friends constantly roamed our neighborhood, trying to get my son out of the house and with them. The last night my son was in my care he asked if he could stay in town because he was getting off work @ 9 pm and had to go back to work the next day at 1pm. I regret that I said yes because he ended up the next am in jail. He had decided to spend the night with his friends on the roof of taco bell, air conditioner on the roof was damaged and the night before when he was working he gave his friends free food. He was charged with trespassing, theft and malicious destruction. I told juvenile services if he came home his friends would stalk our home trying to get him out and with themn. so they placed him in a shelter The shelter was a horrible place when we visited him there we saw fighting, cops etc. I tried to get him out and home because he stated he learned his lesson and would not run or go with his friends he just wanted out of there. got a public defender and this guy never spoke with my son and told me he was going to ask the judge to put him in carter center. I told him I wanted my son home or if that was not possible to go with his granmom or biological dad. The end result was the pub defender did what he wanted and asked the judge to place my son in this center. I found out at this center they did a cavity search on my son, he stays in a cell and it is scarier than the shelter. I want him out, what are my rights as a parent. My son has not done anything that bad to be in this place. This is a juvenile prison the judge and public defender has placed my child against my wishes.

[Edited by Debby Haddaway on 05-27-2001 at 12:06 PM]