Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: 10-Year-Old Jailed for Kicking Mom > MIAMI (AP) -- A 10-year-old boy was arrested, > handcuffed and jailed overnight after a waitress > allegedly saw him kick his mother during a spat at a > restaurant. The police say the way the law is written, > they had no choice. > > ``To be arrested for something like that? It was > ridiculous,'' said Andrew Perkins' mother, Arlene > Martin. ``I couldn't believe it was happening. When > they put the handcuffs on him, I was completely > shocked. > > ``He just sort of brushed my leg. It was nothing.'' > > Domestic violence law required the round-faced > fourth-grader to be arrested before the violence > escalated, police said, and the officers would have > been penalized had they not done it. > > ``They would have been investigated through our > Internal Affairs Unit,'' Miami-Dade police Detective Ed > Munn said today. ``And they could be given departmental > sanctions, as well as civil liabilities -- they could > have been sued for not taking action.'' > > The boy was charged with simple domestic battery, a > misdemeanor. Another hearing is set for Wednesday. > > Police were called to the scene Thursday after a > waitress saw the family arguing, then saw the boy kick > his mother. The boy struggled as his stepfather, Joe > Martin, pulled him outside the restaurant. > > Police then hauled the boy away in a squad car. > > The judge and juvenile officials criticized rules that > allowed for the arrest. > > ``The tragedy seems to be that we've reached the point > in the juvenile justice system where policies and fear > of political repercussions completely obliterate common > sense,'' Circuit Judge Tom Petersen said during a > hearing Monday. > > Andrew has already missed two days of school because of > the case, and his parents say they'll take him for > counseling this week. > > ``He won't leave my sight now,'' his mother said. ``His > body jerks when he sleeps. He keeps remembering a guard > at the center who apparently frightened him a lot.'' -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
