Posted on 06/25/2012 7:02:46 PM PDT by presidio9
Kaytlen Lopan, a 13-year-old girl in Utah, had her ponytail cut off, was jailed for 30 days and was forced to undergo a strip search by juvenile justice officials, because she allegedly helped a friend cut another little girl’s hair.
Lopan's unnamed friend allegedly cut a few inches of hair of a three-year-old girl that they befriended at a local McDonald's.
Lopan said her friend "called a little girl over and cut some of her hair off, like just a tiny little piece. I didn’t know what to do, so I helped her hide the hair. Then I called my mom to come get me.”
KLS5 reports that, two weeks later, Lopan was visited at school by a police officer, who said the little girl’s parents were pressing assault charges.
Utah’s 7th District Juvenile Judge Scott Johansen sentenced Lopan spend 30 days in a detention center, pay a $350 fine and serve 276 community work hours, but reduced those hours by 150 because Lopan's mother, Valerie Bruno, was willing to cut Lopan’s hair in front of the victim’s parents.
Bruno, has filed an official complaint against the judge. Bruno insisted her daughter didn’t actually participate in the hair-cutting, but got a 30-day term in the Castle Country Youth Center, where she was strip searched upon admittance.
Bruno said: “Now, she won’t even sleep by herself. She’s very upset and she [often] cries.”
Judge Johansen sentenced the other little girl to have her hair cut as well, but she was allowed to get it cut at a local salon and was not removed from parental custody. Bruno believes Lopan got a harsher sentence because had done a prank phone before with a friend.
Bruno said: “Kaytlen did not cut her hair. She did not do it. The probation officer talked her into saying she did because she was ‘guilty by association.’ She told her, even if you were just there, you’re just as guilty.”
Sending her to jail was totally unwarranted. It’s as if the justice system wants traumatized kids so the system has new clients.
There is no cure for stupid, but jailtime might help. If you didn't do it, say you didn't do it. As soon as you say "Yeah, I did it" then everything changes. Fool.
“I didn’t know what to do” -
then why did you walk across the street and buy scissors in the first place?
I know walk out of the bathroom and tell your mom, your friend is an idiot.
It certainly sounds bizarre. But the comments after the article paint a very different picture. This sounds like one very troubled kid. A month in custody isn’t the right solution, but I don’t know what is, if there is no father and the mother can’t deal with her daughter’s problems—or maybe is the cause of them.
She went to juvi not jail.
Nether was warranted.
The judge already had her hair cut off plus community service.
Juvi sentence was over kill.
The little angel had a probation officer? Nuff said!!!
Weirdsville, baby.
what a spin. I just read another article yesterday of the same story that is less sympathetic as this article is
Some punk teen cuts my three year old’s hair, they better hope they make it to a judge.
Though perhaps the toddler’s mom should have been watching closer? I can’t imagine letting my kid out of sight at McDonald’s long enough for a haircut...
Another view.....
“...She was also being charged in a separate case where she made months of harassing phone calls to another teen, threatening her with rape and mutilation...”
Juvenile hall is jail for minors.
Juvenile hall, Downey, CA.
Juvenile hall, Sacramento, CA.
“Bruno believes Lopan got a harsher sentence because had done a prank phone before with a friend.”
In other words, your daughter is a repeat offender.
Here is the original article posted yesterday that gives much more information about Miss Lopan. This kid has serious problems. I thought the judge was fair. Read it and see what you think.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=20946125
The mean judge made me cut my precious baby’s hair! Considering this brat was also making threatening phone calls to another kid over an eight month period, the punishment seems a little light.
Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
I would have said that 6 months ago. Then my kids go caught up in in the "justice system". The courts, judges, defense lawyers (yes, we paid $10K), DAs, cops, probation officers, social workers and a cast of thousands make their living by bringing people into the system and NEVER letting them out.
Yes, they will scare you into coping to just about anything. You think you got them out of your hair, and they just come back to take more.
What an insult to Repeat Offenders; especially when I stand to pee.
Was the three year old traumatized? Was she held down, entrapped, did it hurt? Was she in danger of losing an eye or an ear, or getting permanently scarred, by trying to get away?
Who does this to a three year old? It sounds insanely abusive.
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