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Boy charged with felony for carrying sugar
suntimes ^ | February 11, 2006

Posted on 02/11/2006 4:11:34 PM PST by Revel

Boy charged with felony for carrying sugar

BY JUSTINA WANG A 12-year-old Aurora boy who said he brought powdered sugar to school for a science project this week has been charged with a felony for possessing a look-alike drug, Aurora police have confirmed.

The sixth-grade student at Waldo Middle School was also suspended for two weeks from school after showing the bag of powdered sugar to his friends.

The boy, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, said he brought the bag to school to ask his science teacher if he could run an experiment using sugar.

Two other boys asked if the bag contained cocaine after he showed it to them in the bathroom Wednesday morning, the boy's mother said.

He joked that it was cocaine, before telling them, "just kidding," she said.

Aurora police arrested the boy after a custodian at the school reported the boy's comments. The youngster was taken to the police station and detained, before being released to his parents that afternoon.

"This is getting ridiculous," said the boy's mother. "They treated my son like a criminal. .. . This is no way to treat a 12-year-old kid."

East Aurora School District officials declined to comment on the case, citing privacy issues.

The district issued a written statement, which said: "The dangers of illegal drugs and controlled substances are clear.

Could get probation "Look-alike drugs and substances can cause that same level of danger because staff and students are not equipped to differentiate between the two."

The school handbook states that students can be suspended or expelled for carrying a look-alike drug.

Penalties for juveniles are decided on a case-by-case basis, but if convicted, the sixth-grader could likely face up to five years' probation, said Jeffery Jefko, deputy director of Kane County juvenile court services.

Juveniles who have prior criminal records could also be placed in a residential treatment program if convicted, he said.

Aurora Beacon-News


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alibi; anarchy; barneyfife; billofrights; chiefwiggum; constitutionlist; drugsarebadmkay; education; fructose; glucose; govwatch; healthypeople2010; hifructosecornsyrup; keystonecops; libertarians; maltose; nipitinthebud; officerbarbrady; pspl; respectmyauthority; schools; student; students; stupidsneversleep; sugarhigh; suger; sweet; sweettooth; wod; wodlist; zerotolerance
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To: Old Student

The point I was making was your comment: "Use your head for something besides a hatrack, okay?" was very mean spirted. I tend not to read anything else when I see attitudes like that on this formally more civil site.


261 posted on 02/12/2006 12:02:14 PM PST by KillTime (Democracies that can't distinguish between good and evil or deny any difference shall surely perish.)
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To: Old Student
I have a lot of experience with sugar, and I am also able to read. There is a significant difference between cocaine and sugar.

Trust me.

BTW, since you don't have a clue, you don't have a choice. Are you a paid up member of the NEA perhaps.

262 posted on 02/12/2006 12:04:16 PM PST by muawiyah (-)
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To: muawiyah
There is a significant difference between cocaine and sugar.

Cocaine is cut with lactose (milk sugar).

263 posted on 02/12/2006 12:14:47 PM PST by Mojave
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To: The KG9 Kid
You've got your "they's " mixed up. The school did not know what the substance was. The police tested it. The school did not have the power to arrest or charge the child. The police have that power.

He was not charged for having cocaine. He was charged for claiming to have cocaine and presenting a look-alike substance.

I will agree with Old Student. I would not know the difference between cocaine, powdered sugar, corn starch, or baby powder by looking at the 4 different substances. You tell me that you would know the difference and I can't challenge your belief. I'll take your word for it. But in return you have to take mine that I would not know. I've never handled cocaine or been within 10 feet of it knowingly.

It's also not up to me to make that determination, nor is it the school's responsibility. No school has that type of testing equipment sitting around.

264 posted on 02/12/2006 12:15:05 PM PST by Thoeting
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To: robertpaulsen

"They had the cops test the substance."

the substance? you mean test the sugar don't you?


265 posted on 02/12/2006 12:15:43 PM PST by takenoprisoner
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To: Mojave

I can tell lactose by taste. You "cow people" can't.


266 posted on 02/12/2006 12:16:36 PM PST by muawiyah (-)
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To: takenoprisoner
Yes, the cops tested the substance and then found out it was not what it was initially claimed to be by the 12 year old boy.

Just like the oregano vs pot scam. I've never seen pot, I have no idea if it looks like oregano or not. I've read that it does, but I don't know by my own experience.

267 posted on 02/12/2006 12:17:46 PM PST by Thoeting
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To: Revel
"A little verbal scolding from the principle would have been plenty."

Perhaps in another school in another state. But once he knew, his hands were tied.

Six months from now this kid is caught selling real drugs in school and it comes out that this "powdered sugar" incident happened and the principal did (basically) nothing, going against school policy and state law? Hell, you'd be calling for his head on a platter.

Would you risk a six-figure income and possibly your career instead of a lousy suspension for the student? Sure you would.

268 posted on 02/12/2006 12:19:52 PM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: takenoprisoner
"you mean test the sugar don't you?"

Why would they bother to test sugar? It's sugar.

They tested the unknown substance. The results of the tests indicated that the substance was not cocaine.

269 posted on 02/12/2006 12:27:52 PM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: robertpaulsen

So, Confectioner's sugar is out? Catnip is out? Oregano is out? What about my grocer - it this a criminal organization?


270 posted on 02/12/2006 12:33:09 PM PST by GregoryFul
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To: GregoryFul
Out? You mean as in "don't attempt to portray these as drugs" out? Yes. That's correct.

Do that to an undercover cop and your a$$ belongs to the State of Illinois for a few years.

271 posted on 02/12/2006 12:42:57 PM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: 1rudeboy
wonder how many people realize that practically the only reason this sort of a law is on the books in Illinois (and probably most other states as well) is to prevent some con-man from claiming in court, "hey judge, I know the undercover cop busted me for selling him a bag of dope, but it wasn't dope . . . it was oregano."

Exactly. Bizarre laws like that, the kind that regularly get cited in Reader's Digest funny fillers, are always concocted t cover some specific emergency, and enforced very selectively. the city of Phoenix has an ordinance against driving more than twice around a circular street in a three-hour period. It was designed to control teenage "cruising" at two specific shopping malls.

272 posted on 02/12/2006 12:43:58 PM PST by BlazingArizona
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To: Thoeting
When you say that a substance is an illegal drug. At that point, a felony has been committed.

That's the whole point of this law - it's a 'get them on something' catchall. You're screwed if you lie, naturally, but you're equally screwed if you tell the truth.

We're sheep, willingly being led to slaughter.

273 posted on 02/12/2006 12:54:26 PM PST by BlazingArizona
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To: The KG9 Kid

"Think about it for a minute: Now that they KNOW it's just powdered sugar, why are they charging this little boy with a FELONY?

Obvious idiocy, indeed!"

Think about it yourself, for a minute. Or have you forgotten that the county prosecutor determines who will and will not be charged? The school administration does not control what charges are brought, the district attorney does that. They're likely thinking they can show the locals how tough they are on drugs...


274 posted on 02/12/2006 1:14:28 PM PST by Old Student (WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.))
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To: robertpaulsen

So you are against charging a kid for possession of sugar? For or against? Which is it?


275 posted on 02/12/2006 1:15:22 PM PST by mysterio
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To: Revel
Cases like this are why I support corporal punishment.





...of school administrators.
276 posted on 02/12/2006 1:19:39 PM PST by Redcloak ("Shiny... Let's be bad guys.")
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To: muawiyah

"I have a lot of experience with sugar, and I am also able to read. There is a significant difference between cocaine and sugar.
Trust me.

BTW, since you don't have a clue, you don't have a choice. Are you a paid up member of the NEA perhaps."

I've a lot of experience with sugar, but none with cocaine. I do know from reading, as do others who are posting here, that cocaine is often cut with sugar, among other things. (including comet cleanser, IIRC) And no, I'm not a member of NEA. You goofed in your post, and now you wish to deflect blame upon others? How very democratic of you. Why don't you just admit you didn't think things through before you posted? I expect we've all done that a time or two.


277 posted on 02/12/2006 1:19:44 PM PST by Old Student (WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.))
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To: muawiyah

"I can tell lactose by taste. You "cow people" can't."

I can probably do so, as well, but I'm not foolish enough to taste-test suspected drugs. That is what police labs are for, after all. Not all the stuff cocaine is cut with is as benign as sugar, or even cleanser.


278 posted on 02/12/2006 1:22:18 PM PST by Old Student (WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.))
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To: Revel

I would think the police in Aurora would have more serious matters on their mind then powder sugar. Aurora is full of thousands of illegal aliens and crime up the wazoo! Instead of dealing with the gangs in Aurora they arrest a 12 year old for possession of powder sugar.


279 posted on 02/12/2006 1:24:21 PM PST by Dengar01 (Go White Sox!)
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To: muawiyah

"Trust me."

Oh, btw, I don't even trust me, why in ???? should I trust you? You've already shown me that you like to pontificate on subjects you obviously don't know as much about as you think you do


280 posted on 02/12/2006 1:32:05 PM PST by Old Student (WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.))
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