Required to answer questions asked by school faculty?

[quincy]

Oh, it wasn't anything serious, he logged on to a teacher's computer at school apparently, and they're pretty mad at it.

But yes, when they asked him he did admit.
18 some, in high school. 12th grade.

He may suffer some school-related consequences then but it does not sound like the police are involved, which is good.

As a note, Wisconsin school officials cannot require that students provide access to their social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, email). There are password protection laws to guard a student's privacy. Now I guess the teachers should better protect their accounts from student access.

 

[TheInterested]

Thanks everyone. So that basically means, my friend could have said nothing.

 

[quincy]

Thanks everyone. So that basically means, my friend could have said nothing.

Yup. No one ever has to say anything.

Sometimes silence is smart and sometimes it isn't.

As a rule, it is not smart to admit to committing a criminal offense. You should always exercise your right to remain silent and then seek advice from an attorney.

 

[CdwJava]

Thanks everyone. So that basically means, my friend could have said nothing.

Yep. He could have said nothing, but, that might also have subjected him to administrative consequences through the school. Remaining silent does not mean that one cannot be penalized for what actions they took. Of course, what penalties - if any - would depend on the nature of the incident and the surrounding facts.

 

[quincy]

The State Bar of Wisconsin has put together a brochure called "Teens in the Law: A Parent's Resource," which provides good information for both parents and their children.

The brochure summarizes many of the legal issues students/children can face both inside and outside of school. Section VI Police-Child Encounters addresses the questions originally asked and speaks to an individual's right to remain silent.

http://pdf.countyofdane.com/juvenileCourt/Teens_in_the_Law.pdf