worriedmom64
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia
My 16yo son and a buddy sneaked out of the house, met up with two girls they'd met, and joined two other boys at a house one of the other boys said they could hang out at. This house is for sale and vacant. One of the boys they met up with had a key and told them his friend gave him the key before he moved, and that they could hang out there. The 6 kids were drinking, and the officer said there was marijuana but he couldn't pin possession on anyone. (for what it's worth, my son said he was drinking but not doing the drugs).
Sheriff was called on them in the morning (I guess a neighbor saw the lights). The kid who had the key ran off, and the other 5 were caught and turned over to their parents. There was no obvious damage to the property, and the officer wasn't going to file charges, but the homeowner has now decided to file charges, and we will be getting papers served shortly for unlawful entry and larceny of electricity.
If he's found guilty, what sort of punishment would he likely receive? A fine? Probation? Community service? (surely not jail time...)
The thing is, my boy thought it was OK to be there - that they had permission of some sort. Yes, naive thinking, but still he's just a boy, and foolishly trusted the "key kid" whom he didn't know. If he does all in his power to help identify and convict the Key Kid, is a judge likely to overlook the charges? Would it be at all helpful to try to contact the homeowner beforehand to settle this out of court without charges?
I know we'll need an attorney to answer these things, but I'm just trying to get a feel for where we stand right now. I've never had to deal with the courts before...
My 16yo son and a buddy sneaked out of the house, met up with two girls they'd met, and joined two other boys at a house one of the other boys said they could hang out at. This house is for sale and vacant. One of the boys they met up with had a key and told them his friend gave him the key before he moved, and that they could hang out there. The 6 kids were drinking, and the officer said there was marijuana but he couldn't pin possession on anyone. (for what it's worth, my son said he was drinking but not doing the drugs).
Sheriff was called on them in the morning (I guess a neighbor saw the lights). The kid who had the key ran off, and the other 5 were caught and turned over to their parents. There was no obvious damage to the property, and the officer wasn't going to file charges, but the homeowner has now decided to file charges, and we will be getting papers served shortly for unlawful entry and larceny of electricity.
If he's found guilty, what sort of punishment would he likely receive? A fine? Probation? Community service? (surely not jail time...)
The thing is, my boy thought it was OK to be there - that they had permission of some sort. Yes, naive thinking, but still he's just a boy, and foolishly trusted the "key kid" whom he didn't know. If he does all in his power to help identify and convict the Key Kid, is a judge likely to overlook the charges? Would it be at all helpful to try to contact the homeowner beforehand to settle this out of court without charges?
I know we'll need an attorney to answer these things, but I'm just trying to get a feel for where we stand right now. I've never had to deal with the courts before...