Posted on 04/21/2009 9:14:36 PM PDT by smokingfrog
I admit it, I have also gotten mad at my children for fussing and put them out of the truck, also about 3 miles from home. The difference? I made them walk (a short bit of the way) as I followed right behind them. They dont squabble in the truck anymore.
Finally, somebody says something sensible.
They don’t - I was posting drunk. (ok just posting stupid)
See - there are marriages made in Heaven....
I was in fifth grade when I was ten.
I walked to school every day, and back, to swim lessons, to return a lawnmower once - I think this is circumstantial.
Not too cold? Kids know the way home? Not on the side of a busy freeway? Not too hot/no water? Kids not sick? Not in a bad neighborhood?
If the above circumstances were met, I wouldn’t convict were I on the jury.
LOL.
In today’s world you would kick a 10 year old out of a car 3 miles from home? Kids are abducted every day in this country and you are one of those saying it is fine to make a kid walk home 3 miles? I give up - I don’t understand how anyone could think this is acceptable.... ground the kids when you get home - take their ipod or their computer but to kick them out of a car and say “see ya” is not good parenting..
I’m just glad the mother was trying to discipline her children. Seems like other parents have forgotten that’s part of their duties and let the kids go wild.
“I don’t understand how anyone could think this is acceptable.”
I am not certain it is acceptable. I mentioned some of the conditions that would affect how I felt about it.
In similar situations I’ve pulled over to the side of the rode until my kids calmed down. I’ve never played “abandonment” with any of them. I think it’s cruel.
To take a child from a parent is devastating trauma. It should only be done if there is no other way to preserve a child’s life or health.
“How did she endanger them?”
Here’s a real case which happened in a shopping mall.
{If an adult who is in charge of children leaves them unattended in the mall, even under that scenario it is possible for them to be charged with child abandonment/endanderment.
Not talking about children accidentially getting seperated from parents and everyone trying to find the parents or children - depending on which ones are reported missing first.}
But in this case three young girls - one a little older than the two very young ones - were left alone in a children’s play area while the mother shopped the mall without having to bother with them.
A security officer reported them unattended. A supervisor came to the location and talked with the girls. He then called the local police department.
They couldn’t send someone right away. The superv waited and waited with the girls until, eventually, the mother returned before the cop could get there.
Turns out the woman had previously been a cop herself. The superv talked with her and warned her severely how close she came to being charged with a crime. She even acted upset with herself and said she knew better than what she had done and wouldn’t do it again.
Now ask yourself...what could happen to the girls in a shopping mall of all things??
There are several possible scenarios.
They could have wandered outside and something unfortunate could have befallen them.
They could have gone into a store or shop, seen something irresistible and taken it, whether caught or not.
One of them could have suddendly taken ill, with no adult to take charge.
One of them could have gotten injured playing unsupervised (by the mom) in the play area.
They could have wandered the mall in a frantic attempt to locate her after feeling alone for too long.
They could have been lured by a pedophile to go with him somewhere.
They could have been lured by kidnappers working for a child porn/sex ring.
They could have been taken by a non-custodial parent or grandparent.
Think about it.
Ten and twelve notwithstanding, they were her legal responsibility and she was culpable for failing to take reasonable measures to secure their safety and well-being.
Your own scenario that she didn’t leave them in a desert is a far cry from what the law is.
Her actions were against the law as it stands.
endanderment = endangerment
You didn’t state the ages of the kids in your mall example.
Mine too.
I don’t know their exact ages and could only guess from what I do know about the incident.
They were younger than 10 and 12. My guess would be the eldest girl might have been 8 or so, give or take.
However, it was the actions the mother did and didn’t do that made her liable to the law.
Ten and twelve years of age is still considered under the care and supervision of the adult in charge.
And my point to you is that even inside a shopping mall where other people are present that work in the mall, this woman was responsible legally for not “disappearing” away from her children.
If not for the cancelling of the police call when she returned before they could spare an officer to the scene, she WOULD have been charged.
The ages of ten and twelve in THIS case would never justify putting them out of a car 3 miles from home and driving away. (They were her legal responsibility and she failed to take reasonable measures to secure their safety and well being.)
Maybe in the opinions of some, but not in law.
Why? Age is important. I see 10-12 year olds wandering around in the mall with no adults all the time.
That’s why I asked their ages.
Well I’d have to see the law in order to agree with you that it’s the law.
Same here.
Our local news picked up this story tonight - it seems even weirder than I thought. The mom kicked the girls out and continued down the street. Traffic kept her from speeding away and the 12 year old caught up with her and she was allowed into the car, BUT - the woman kept driving without the 10 year old and went home!!!!! I thought it was bad enough when I was assuming she thought the girls would stay together but when the 12 year old caught up with her on the road and the 10 year old wasn’t with her, the woman should have pulled over and waited, at the very least. But instead she just drove off leaving a 10 year old alone to find her way home.
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