Dad's car

[In33dH3lp]

What is the name of your state? Florida

I'm 14, I've always been straigth, no alcohol, no drugs, nothing wild in my life, mostly having fun and hanging out.

One night my parents left for a party and the idea of driving a car had been in my head for the few past weeks.

So I took the keys and went for a short drive with my dad's car(about 10 minutes) inside the neighborhood driving pretty well and I parked it and went back to the computer.

Then, a friend of mine tells me he's going to the cinema via chat, so I say bye to him.

He leaves and then I get the idea that I could drive to the cinema and kinda show him I know how to drive and stuff..

I drive about 20 minutes and I turn into a parking about 2 minutes from the cinema to send him a text message on my cellular phone and tell him I'm near the cinema so that he can meet me outside.

As I start to drive to the exit of the parking lot, some weird black car turns into the exit and drives around the corner and comes behind me, I panick and start driving to the nearest street to get away from it.

driving at a speed of about 40mph I realise the car is a ghost police car...


And soon after 2-3 normal police cars join the what had become a chase.


It wasn't a very fast chase except I was so scared and nervous that I wasn't realising that I was burning red lights...



I finally stop the vehicule by turning into a little street on the right, and then I stop the car they all come rushing at me and they pull me out of the car and handcuff me.


They brought me back to the police station and we called my parents so that they could pickup their nice little son.

During the wait time they explained that I was accused of running away, burning red lights, driving without license and similar accusations.

My parents arrived discouraged and surprised by it all, my dad rides back home with the car I took, and my mom rides home alone in the other car..

ON the way home my dad scolds me probably thinking it was over after all this had happened and that we were all home..

But they called us 2 days after to tell us we have to come make an 'even statement' where they wrote down my version of the story on paper and made me sign everything.

After that they told us that in a period of 6 months, if the Judge decides to take the situation to court we would receive a letter.

Just this morning we received the letter.... and that means I go to court and that I need a lawyer, and my dad told me I would have to pay what its gonna cost.


This is so much trouble that I donno if I'll be able to handle it all, I will have to pay back an amount I don't know yet but its gonna be more the money I have right now... and I'll have consequences decided by the judge,

Can you guys tell me what kind of consequences are possible and your oppinion on the situation??

 

[racer72]

Your going to have a fairly hefty fine to pay, many many hours of community service and forget about a driver's license till you are at least 18. You and your parents should talk to a local attorney asap.

 

[seniorjudge]

"...This is so much trouble that I donno if I'll be able to handle it all...."

You better learn quick.

It's called maturity.

Life's a bitch.

 

[In33dH3lp]

This is pretty tough indeed..

Ya its pretty tough all this, but while I stated the events in my way I did take the time to ask a few questions, they told me that they ruled out the paying fines, since its not a way for me to learn because my parents end up having to pay them all.

But I still wonder how much an attorney costs, and can someone describe me what rolls I will have to take in court, what kind of things will I have to do?

Edit : They also added this phrase : 'The judge will probably give you a severe 'warning' ' and I asked them ' waht about community service?'

They said 'Ya maybe some of that also'

So I donno anymore

But thanks for the input

 

[cbg]

And I don't know what your parents will do, but if you were my kid you could forget about driving until you graduate from college.

Not to mention the fact that you'd be grounded till you're 18.

 

[In33dH3lp]

Ok look..

Ok look, if your here to post non-sense, then don't waste your time 'cause it doesn't help me.

Too bad if you would ground me until I'm 18, shows what kind of person you are, unable to give a second chance to someone.., as for the driving license, don't you think its stupid to stop someone from driving to college just because he drove at 14 ? All you'll do is screw his life up, you usually get your driving experience in that age, when you start, and you also get your CAR BUYING experience which is also pretty important.

I'll thank those that have in mind to help me out in this and inform me instead of adding their useless piece of mind.

 

[cbg]

And you're certainly showing your maturity by driving two years before you're legally permitted to.

I have friends who didn't drive till they were 18 or older and it didn't screw their lives up any. What you don't seem to understand is that driving is a privilege, not a right.

You don't believe it now, but your life will not come to an end if you don't get to drive through your high school years.

 

[seniorjudge]

Ok look, if your here to post non-sense, then don't waste your time 'cause it doesn't help me.

It isn't nonsense...that's the whole point.

 

[In33dH3lp]

Follow up

Alright so I'm passing the 27th this month, I have to get identified :S I donno what that means.


And then my dad came home tonight telling me he got to talk with a lawyer and he says that the prices will vary between 500 and 1000 dollars.


Do you guys have any suggestions for me and how it works ?


I mean how does the lawyer work in court, how can he defend me a lot in this situation basing yourselves on the situation I wrote above?

 

[seniorjudge]

"...I mean how does the lawyer work in court, how can he defend me a lot in this situation basing yourselves on the situation I wrote above?..."

What is YOUR defense?

 

[In33dH3lp]

Thanks but...

I don't really understand what you mean by MY defense?



I think the lawyer is only there to reduce the trouble this will put me in afterwards and stuff..??

 

[seniorjudge]

I don't really understand what you mean by MY defense?

Okay, why do you think you should not go to jail?

 

[CdwJava]

Too bad if you would ground me until I'm 18, shows what kind of person you are, unable to give a second chance to someone..,

I'm with CBG on this one ... my kid wouldn't have a license til he was 18 AND he'd probably never be driving any car I owned because the insurance would be astronomical!

And it's not like you accidentally broke mom's favorite lamp and tried to glue it back together, you essentially stole and drove the car! That's not an "oops" that deserves a second chance! You SEEM to have this attitude that it's a harmless error "mostly having fun and hanging out."

as for the driving license, don't you think its stupid to stop someone from driving to college just because he drove at 14 ?

No! You wanna drive, you get your license after age 18 (if you can), get your own car and your own insurance. Why should dad have to fork out the jacked up insurance rates due to your crime?

All you'll do is screw his life up, you usually get your driving experience in that age, when you start, and you also get your CAR BUYING experience which is also pretty important.

Why is buying a car all that important? I bought my first car at age 18 and my dad co-signed for it (a used car). After that, I didn't buy one until I was ... uh ... hmm ... 28 or something.

And if you want driving experience, get it after the age of 18. Maybe you'll be a little more mature by then and you won't make the same "mistakes".

If I had arrested you, you would have been booked in to juvenile hall on multiple charges and mommy and daddy would NOT have been taking you home. You got off DARN LUCKY and ought to be thankful that you have not yet been treated as a serious criminal.

I'll thank those that have in mind to help me out in this and inform me instead of adding their useless piece of mind.

Here's some information for you, I think your dad is right in making YOU pay for the attorney. But, I don't think he's gone far enough in punishing you yet.

And the only help that can be provided at this point is to advise you to get a good attorney who might be able to negotiate a plea deal that will keep your tail end out of kiddie jail. That's about the best you can hope for.

- Carl

 

[seniorjudge]

I don't really understand what you mean by MY defense?



I think the lawyer is only there to reduce the trouble this will put me in afterwards and stuff..??

You should have committed these crimes in Missouri. We have the best juvenile system in the country. Last week, there were some juvie folks from California who said their system was still run like 19th century jails.

Oh...well!

 

[CdwJava]

You should have committed these crimes in Missouri. We have the best juvenile system in the country. Last week, there were some juvie folks from California who said their system was still run like 19th century jails.

Oh...well!

Unfortunately, we spend too much time and effort trying to keep kids OUT of jail and trouble here. It takes a real effort to land in juvie for any length of time, and something rather dire to land one in CYA.

I suppose we could use some improvement ... and a big paddle, a chair, and something to pull the pants down exposing the hind ends of some of these little twits would be a great start!

- Carl