Contributing to delinquency of a minor

[quincy]

So just a public defender will not do? I have never had to deal with this so I have no Idea what to do. The bondsman didn't give me any papers except a receipt of payment. Just wrote the court date on the receipt.

I did not see that any of these offenses are jailable offenses (although I didn't read over the laws very carefully).

But your son will want to hire a defense attorney to work on getting the charges reduced or dismissed, and so the attorney can speak for your son so your son doesn't say something stupid.

You should never take legal advice from the police officer who arrested you.

 

[HighwayMan]

One should not take legal advice from the police. He needs an attorney.

By the way, I've never known any 20 year olds that have 16 year old "friends".

 

[not2cleverRed]

So just a public defender will not do? I have never had to deal with this so I have no Idea what to do. The bondsman didn't give me any papers except a receipt of payment. Just wrote the court date on the receipt.

A public defender *is* a lawyer.

Why on G--'s green earth would you post bail for your son?

Going in to the court and pleading guilty is not a good idea? The cops said because he hasn't done anything before that pleading guilty would be his best bet.

It is better to take legal advice from a lawyer. The police you have spoken to are not licensed to practice law.

There are other options that might be available to your son other than just straight out pleading guilty.

Your adult son should make his own account here and ask his own questions.

 

[justalayman]

I did not see that any of these offenses are jailable offenses (although I didn't read over the laws very carefully).

But your son will want to hire a defense attorney to work on getting the charges reduced or dismissed, and so the attorney can speak for your son so your son doesn't say something stupid.

You should never take legal advice from the police officer who arrested you.

Providing booze to a minor is a class a misdemeanor. Penalty as follows

not greater than eleven (11) months twenty-nine (29) days in jail or a fine not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or both, unless otherwise provided by statute

 

[justalayman]

A public defender *is* a lawyer.

Why on G--'s green earth would you post bail for your son?



.

have you ever been arrested or been in jail? While I agree the kid needs a wake up call, allowing one's child to languish in jail is a very difficult thing to do. If you have never been in jail it is very difficult to explain the feelings one can experience. Even in the jails that are not dens of violence, it doesn't take long to injure a persons psyche. Yes, the kid screwed up but with any hope, the processing and minimal time spent in jail already will stir something in him.

If not, he's young and has plenty of time to earn time in the pokey.

 

[quincy]

Providing booze to a minor is a class a misdemeanor. Penalty as follows

not greater than eleven (11) months twenty-nine (29) days in jail or a fine not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or both, unless otherwise provided by statute

Thanks, justalayman. I didn't read the laws very carefully but figured Tennessee would have been the odd-state-out if jail time was not a possibility for a misdemeanor charge. I just didn't see on quick glance that jail was one of the possible penalties.

As to having friends that are 16 when you are 20: Lynsky mentioned the 16-year-old was a girl in the neighborhood. I do not find it odd that a 20 year old would be friends with a 16 year old, especially if the families grew up together in the neighborhood or if they went to school together at one time.

That said, friends do not buy alcohol for friends who are minors. If they do, they are not much of a friend.

 

[Just Blue]

So just a public defender will not do? I have never had to deal with this so I have no Idea what to do. The bondsman didn't give me any papers except a receipt of payment. Just wrote the court date on the receipt.

You need do nothing. This is your adult son issue to deal with. He made the bed...not he has to sleep in it.

 

[HighwayMan]

As to having friends that are 16 when you are 20: Lynsky mentioned the 16-year-old was a girl in the neighborhood...

Yeah, I was thinking back to my high school days when seniors looked upon juniors as being little kids and wanted nothing to do with them.

 

[CdwJava]

Yes I have taught him. But he is 20 and thinks he knows it all. Has told me I can't make him do anything he doesn't want. Or that he will do things he wants, he says he doesn't need my permission. So honestly how do you reply to that?

Oh! I can answer that!

"My house, my rules. Don't like the rules, there is the front door."

If he admits to being an adult, then you remind him that since he is an adult, you have no legal obligation to provide him with squat! If he doesn't like a curfew, house rules, and a ban on his consumption of alcohol, then there is the front door and not to let it hit his tail end on the way out!

I have three adult sons - two living out of the house, and one 16 year old son still at home (of course). Oh, and I DO let my 16 year old son stay home alone when my wife and I are not at home for a couple of days or so. Why? Well, we trust him, AND we have an older brother and neighbors that will keep an eye out for him ... just in case. (Trust, but verify).

 

[Ohiogal]

Yes I have taught him. But he is 20 and thinks he knows it all. Has told me I can't make him do anything he doesn't want. Or that he will do things he wants, he says he doesn't need my permission. So honestly how do you reply to that?

You tell him since he is such an adult, he can move out and quit living off your teat. If he wants to play at being an adult, he needs to play the whole way including getting his own place and paying all his own bills.

 

[Eekamouse]

You tell him since he is such an adult, he can move out and quit living off your teat. If he wants to play at being an adult, he needs to play the whole way including getting his own place and paying all his own bills.

And handling all his own legal problems himself.

 

[not2cleverRed]

have you ever been arrested or been in jail? While I agree the kid needs a wake up call, allowing one's child to languish in jail is a very difficult thing to do. If you have never been in jail it is very difficult to explain the feelings one can experience. Even in the jails that are not dens of violence, it doesn't take long to injure a persons psyche. Yes, the kid screwed up but with any hope, the processing and minimal time spent in jail already will stir something in him.

If not, he's young and has plenty of time to earn time in the pokey.

This helicopter parent posted about her 20 year old son's legal problems in the Juvenile Law section. 20 year old son.

He may be young, but he's no juvenile, and I'd be willing to bet that he's been doing a lot of stupid things for a while. This is only the first time he's gotten caught by the police.

 

[Just Blue]

This helicopter parent posted about her 20 year old son's legal problems in the Juvenile Law section. 20 year old son.

He may be young, but he's no juvenile, and I'd be willing to bet that he's been doing a lot of stupid things for a while. This is only the first time he's gotten caught by the police.

Like^

 

[Zigner]

This helicopter parent posted about her 20 year old son's legal problems in the Juvenile Law section. 20 year old son.

He may be young, but he's no juvenile, and I'd be willing to bet that he's been doing a lot of stupid things for a while. This is only the first time he's gotten caught by the police.

I got the impression that the OP was trying to find a way to shift the blame to the juvenile...thus the post in the juvenile law forum.

 

[eerelations]

I got the impression that the OP was trying to find a way to shift the blame to the juvenile...thus the post in the juvenile law forum.

Like button. (Why oh why don't we have a like button anymore???)

OP says her son only did this because the girl asked him to. So it's therefore it's her fault. (Because apparently, we are always compelled to do whatever anyone asks us to do.)

Then she said it was because the girl's parents were away. So it's not just the girl's fault, it's her parents' fault too. (Because apparently, 16-year-old girls always have the power to force adults to do whatever they want them to do when said girls' parents are away, and the cops should know this.)

And wait! Because her son is under 21, it can't be his fault no matter what, because he's a minor too! (Well maybe he isn't a minor, but if Mummy treats him like one, then he is.)