Honor student placed in jail for tardiness and truancy at school

[gravity357]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Honor-Student-Jailed-for-Absences-153847275.html

 

Stay classy judge...

[orangecrush]

From the comments:

 

This judge is out of line, out of control, jaded to his career choice & and an extremely poor example of an authority figure. He jailed my god-daughter the same day for being tardy the prior week. The hard pill to swallow was that she wasnt tardy she was at an ortho appt. & her mother faxed the dr. note to the school. The judges response to my god-daughter when she told him this? "Well your mother should have scheduled appt. after school." Wow! Really? I didn't realize it was legal to jail someone for not scheduling medical appts to a judges preference. Not only did he jail her, noone notified her mother she was in jail because technically she's an adult! So technically she should be able to check herself out of school or hell even drop out of school (which isn't the case, just making a point) if she wanted. I hope this judge sleeps well at night knowing he made a single mother of 3 ( the kids father was killed in an accident approx. 8 months ago) pay $100.00 to get her daughter out of a locked cell & home safely where she belonged. Nevermind the fact that she missed an entire day of school & exams.

[orangecrush]

This s from a few years back, but it came to mind.

 

JP's practice of jailing in truancy-related cases questioned

 

http://www.themonitor.com/articles/related-36841-cases-truancy.html

 

 

 

Court Rules That Jailing Youth Who Are Unable To Pay Truancy Fines Violates Constitution

 

 

http://www.aclutx.org/2012/02/16/aclu-wins-federal-court-challenge-to-hidalgo-county

[sirrowan]

This judge is a moron.....

[gravity357]

I'm not digging this phase 1 police state we are becoming...

[road2freedom]

I wonder if that "jail" is privatized and giving kickbacks to the judge... wreaks of the same stench from that story that came out last year.

[sirrowan]

The fines generate revenue if that's what you mean?

[road2freedom]

The fines generate revenue if that's what you mean?

 

Nope, I mean actual kickbacks. I remember now... it was the "Cash for Kids" scandal. Here's one of many articles.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359154/Cash-kids-judge-took-1m-kickback-private-jail-builder-lock-children-up.html

[cashnocredit]

Every time I hear "Zero Tolerance" I want to puke.

 

I remember back when we used to criticize the USSR and later apartheid South Africa by pointing to the high incarceration rate typical in repressive states.

 

Pogo comes to mind.

[Tigz]

I read in another article ( http://www.khou.com/news/local/People-across-the-country-offer-help-to-honor-student-jailed-for-truancy-154235505.html ) where she feels like she has shamed her parents.

 

Sorry....but her parents have shamed her.....not the other way around. What kind of parents divorce and move away leaving their kids behind? (I could see if she wanted to spend the last year there at her school....but they left the younger daughter as well, so that argument flies out the window)

[cashnocredit]

I read in another article ( http://www.khou.com/news/local/People-across-the-country-offer-help-to-honor-student-jailed-for-truancy-154235505.html ) where she feels like she has shamed her parents.

 

Sorry....but her parents have shamed her.....not the other way around. What kind of parents divorce and move away leaving their kids behind? (I could see if she wanted to spend the last year there at her school....but they left the younger daughter as well, so that argument flies out the window)

 

Isn't that the truth!

 

Her parents are seriously flawed. It puts the lie to the old adage of the fruit not falling far from the tree. In this case it fell very far indeed.

[sirrowan]

The fines generate revenue if that's what you mean?

 

Nope, I mean actual kickbacks. I remember now... it was the "Cash for Kids" scandal. Here's one of many articles.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359154/Cash-kids-judge-took-1m-kickback-private-jail-builder-lock-children-up.html

[SplashMom]

Wow, way to kick a kid when she is down. To be an honor student in AP classes is difficult enough, but to do it while working a full-time job and part-time job after her parents abandoned her is quite impressive. I feel the guidance counselor should have gotten involved and assisted the student in some way. Her parents failed her, her school failed her, and the justice system failed her.

[Labyrinthine]

While I think a night in jail is extreme I think she ought to be reprimanded. She was warned in April that if she kept missing school she would face consequences. I have also read that at least one of her jobs is a weekend stint at her family's wedding business and that she is living with family, not one her own as has been reported in some articles.

 

It is nice that she is an honor student but part of being an exceptional student is having the maturity to understand that actions have consequences and missing more than 10 days, unexcused, is illegal in the state of Texas. Now, I get the argument that maybe it should not be illegal but it is.

 

I do not like this move towards treating some people as special because of their supposed circumstances. I knew plenty of kids that worked full time and went to school and managed AP classes and did not miss so much time. It is possible, some just choose not to do it.

[Bad Doctor Frost]

See, I see it this way. Yes, she's a student and has to be there. But, she's an AP honor student. Clearly attendance isn't affecting her any. I fail see the issue. Now, if she were failing because of her attendance...yeah. She has problems. But, IMO, even with her crappy family life, she's doing well. If she weren't doing well, she wouldn't be an honor student. When she gets to college, it doesn't matter if she attends class or not, if she's pulling As she's doing her job. Same with when she gets into the workforce. If she's getting her work done, who cares how much time she's there. When I was in high school, I'd always laugh at teachers who said "you won't get away with this in college!" ...really?

 

 

Judge is looney.

[Labyrinthine]

See, I see it this way. Yes, she's a student and has to be there. But, she's an AP honor student. Clearly attendance isn't affecting her any. I fail see the issue. Now, if she were failing because of her attendance...yeah. She has problems. But, IMO, even with her crappy family life, she's doing well. If she weren't doing well, she wouldn't be an honor student. When she gets to college, it doesn't matter if she attends class or not, if she's pulling As she's doing her job. Same with when she gets into the workforce. If she's getting her work done, who cares how much time she's there. When I was in high school, I'd always laugh at teachers who said "you won't get away with this in college!" ...really?

 

 

Judge is looney.

 

A great many employers care whether or not you are at work. My employer, for instance, does not tolerate excessive absenteeism no matter how efficient you are at your job.

[Islandgal]

See, I see it this way. Yes, she's a student and has to be there. But, she's an AP honor student. Clearly attendance isn't affecting her any. I fail see the issue. Now, if she were failing because of her attendance...yeah. She has problems. But, IMO, even with her crappy family life, she's doing well. If she weren't doing well, she wouldn't be an honor student. When she gets to college, it doesn't matter if she attends class or not, if she's pulling As she's doing her job. Same with when she gets into the workforce. If she's getting her work done, who cares how much time she's there. When I was in high school, I'd always laugh at teachers who said "you won't get away with this in college!" ...really?

 

 

Judge is looney.

 

A great many employers care whether or not you are at work. My employer, for instance, does not tolerate excessive absenteeism no matter how efficient you are at your job.

 

Depends on the employer though...I rarely show up in the office, but always get done, what needs to be done..showing up on the job does not always equate to productivity.. I get more done on VPN than having to deal with folks that want to stop by to gossip

[beli]

While I think a night in jail is extreme I think she ought to be reprimanded. She was warned in April that if she kept missing school she would face consequences. I have also read that at least one of her jobs is a weekend stint at her family's wedding business and that she is living with family, not one her own as has been reported in some articles.

 

It is nice that she is an honor student but part of being an exceptional student is having the maturity to understand that actions have consequences and missing more than 10 days, unexcused, is illegal in the state of Texas. Now, I get the argument that maybe it should not be illegal but it is.

 

I do not like this move towards treating some people as special because of their supposed circumstances. I knew plenty of kids that worked full time and went to school and managed AP classes and did not miss so much time. It is possible, some just choose not to do it.

However, this wasn't unexcused. They had the note that she had a doctors appt. When I was in school back in the 70's/80's doctor appts were considered excused absence.. just like they are at work as well from every employer I've had.

[Labyrinthine]

While I think a night in jail is extreme I think she ought to be reprimanded. She was warned in April that if she kept missing school she would face consequences. I have also read that at least one of her jobs is a weekend stint at her family's wedding business and that she is living with family, not one her own as has been reported in some articles.

 

It is nice that she is an honor student but part of being an exceptional student is having the maturity to understand that actions have consequences and missing more than 10 days, unexcused, is illegal in the state of Texas. Now, I get the argument that maybe it should not be illegal but it is.

 

I do not like this move towards treating some people as special because of their supposed circumstances. I knew plenty of kids that worked full time and went to school and managed AP classes and did not miss so much time. It is possible, some just choose not to do it.

However, this wasn't unexcused. They had the note that she had a doctors appt. When I was in school back in the 70's/80's doctor appts were considered excused absence.. just like they are at work as well from every employer I've had.

 

I was in high school much more recently and I can tell you that at a certain point when you have missed so much school no absence is excused.

[paycuthurtme]

The fines generate revenue if that's what you mean?

 

Nope, I mean actual kickbacks. I remember now... it was the "Cash for Kids" scandal. Here's one of many articles.

 

http://www.dailymail...hildren-up.html

 

Hell won't be hot enough for those SOB's.

[Pam]

While I think a night in jail is extreme I think she ought to be reprimanded. She was warned in April that if she kept missing school she would face consequences. I have also read that at least one of her jobs is a weekend stint at her family's wedding business and that she is living with family, not one her own as has been reported in some articles.

 

It is nice that she is an honor student but part of being an exceptional student is having the maturity to understand that actions have consequences and missing more than 10 days, unexcused, is illegal in the state of Texas. Now, I get the argument that maybe it should not be illegal but it is.

 

I do not like this move towards treating some people as special because of their supposed circumstances. I knew plenty of kids that worked full time and went to school and managed AP classes and did not miss so much time. It is possible, some just choose not to do it.

However, this wasn't unexcused. They had the note that she had a doctors appt. When I was in school back in the 70's/80's doctor appts were considered excused absence.. just like they are at work as well from every employer I've had.

 

I was in high school much more recently and I can tell you that at a certain point when you have missed so much school no absence is excused.

 

 

[sirrowan]

While I think a night in jail is extreme I think she ought to be reprimanded. She was warned in April that if she kept missing school she would face consequences. I have also read that at least one of her jobs is a weekend stint at her family's wedding business and that she is living with family, not one her own as has been reported in some articles.

 

It is nice that she is an honor student but part of being an exceptional student is having the maturity to understand that actions have consequences and missing more than 10 days, unexcused, is illegal in the state of Texas. Now, I get the argument that maybe it should not be illegal but it is.

 

I do not like this move towards treating some people as special because of their supposed circumstances. I knew plenty of kids that worked full time and went to school and managed AP classes and did not miss so much time. It is possible, some just choose not to do it.

However, this wasn't unexcused. They had the note that she had a doctors appt. When I was in school back in the 70's/80's doctor appts were considered excused absence.. just like they are at work as well from every employer I've had.

 

I was in high school much more recently and I can tell you that at a certain point when you have missed so much school no absence is excused.

 

 

 

Is that like saying you are old and I'm young?

[Labyrinthine]

 

Is that like saying you are old and I'm young?

 

No it is just saying I have more experience in how things are done now as opposed to in the 70s. Mind you it wasn't exactly yesterday - it was over 10 years ago.

 

But yes, I know a great many of you don't like to think that anyone under 30 can have anything to contribute to a conversation.

[Bad Doctor Frost]

I graduated in '05, and my high school didn't really care much about attendance so long as you weren't causing trouble or failing. We had open campus, didn't have to check in/out, etc. We were treated as adults and not like children that had to be babysat (unless, of course, you acted like a child who needed to be babysat). Of course there were those...but they were usually weeded out and sent to the "alternative" school after a while.

[Bad Doctor Frost]

 

Is that like saying you are old and I'm young?

 

No it is just saying I have more experience in how things are done now as opposed to in the 70s. Mind you it wasn't exactly yesterday - it was over 10 years ago.

 

But yes, I know a great many of you don't like to think that anyone under 30 can have anything to contribute to a conversation.

 

 

Just step on their oxygen tube for a few seconds, they'll shape up.