
Felony Charges for 13-Year-Old Who Recorded His Conversation with School Admins - pwg
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180623/12433740097/illinois-prosecutor-brings-felony-eavesdropping-charges-against-13-year-old-who-recorded-his-conversation-with-school.shtml
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Someone1234
I always found the prevalence of law enforcement and criminal law within US
schools odd in and of itself.

Where I grew up, you'd get detention/expelled, in the US you get charged with
a crime and an actual police officer will put handcuffs on little kids, little
kids will go to court, and get a criminal record until 21.

The whole criminal justice system in the US is incredibly unusual from the
perspective of an outsider.

For example, you literally put innocent people into a situation where they
need to plead guilty for a shorter time in jail or to save money. Such as
traffic courts where the ticket is less than the "court costs" (if you fight
it). Or a plea deal of time served (Vs. spending longer in jail awaiting
trial).

~~~
extralego
It’s disgusting.

And the gutting of public school funding by Democrats and Republicans
undermine any consideration of what is “right” or moral or healthy. School
districts are discarding teaching degree requirements to meet spending goals
all over the US. Of course kids are going to feel alienated. They absolutely
are. And of course they will act accordingly. And now they will go to jail for
it.

The only solution here is voting for politicians who do not accept corporate
donations. Vote another way and you are consenting to this behavior.

~~~
cannonedhamster
Citation for Democrats gutting schools?

I've never heard of a single Democrat for cutting public school funding in my
lifetime. That's a far right talking point driven entirely under Republican
doctrine since Reagan. The Republican party stopped being a sane party once
Reagan came in. Democrats haven't had a spine or a heartbeat since Carter lost
by being honest.

We do definitely agree on getting corporate and lobbying dollars out of
government. I honestly can't believe that this is legal in a democracy and not
illegal in the Constitution.

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reaperducer
This is what happens when the criminals are in charge and get to write the
laws.

No, that's not anti-American hyperbole. It's just Illinois history.

The law was created by crooked politicians to protect crooked cops,
politicians, and their cronies.

Corruption is a way of life in Illinois, and especially Chicago. It's
ingrained in the system. There are dozens and dozens of books about it, and
the reason that so many of last century's major journalists came out of
Chicago.

Whenever I hear people from New York or Los Angeles or pretty much any other
American city moan about their politicians being corrupt, I laugh to myself
and think, "amateurs."

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mhneu
Wow. Prosecutors moved to prosecute a 13 year old for recording a conversation
with a principal?

Even after the IL state govt made it finally legal to record a conversation
with other public officials (like cops)?

So much for public transparency with local tax dollars that go to schools.

Good article.

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mental1896
It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the reason it's being pursued is because
of how absurd it is--to finally put it to rest once and for all.

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dev_dull
And unfortunately they’re using a 13-yo for their chess pieces. I have to
believe there’s better existing cases which can be appealed to test this law.

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alphabettsy
The prevalence of law enforcement in schools in recent decades is a troubling
practice. Pranks, misbehavior and disruptions that were once handled in school
with detention or other discipline are now referred to law enforcement where
the system is absolutely not designed to teach or rehabilitate, but rather to
punish.

I remember students getting into fights and being sent to detention or in-
school suspension together and afterwards things being fine, now schools are
calling the police and students are being put in jail, sometimes never to
return to school.

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XalvinX
When they say "prison" what does that mean in the case of a minor? Do they
even have prisons for minors?

Anyways, I can't see him ever being convicted of this...but I hope the ACLU or
somebody will help him get decent legal representation...this could go pretty
high on appeal eventually.

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alphabettsy
Yes, they have prison for minors. Quick search shows over 70k in juvenile
detention at last count. Juvenile detention is just prison for kids, looks no
different than adult prison to me.

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XalvinX
There are prisons and there are jails and detention centers. I've been to jail
more than once and jail is essentially 3-square-meals-a-day with library and
exercise yard access and otherwise a softcore joke that just wastes your time.
Prison means you could easily die, get raped, get beat up regularly, and has
little in the way of fun and games. They are very different situations, at
least that's what I was told by some of the people I met in jail who had been
to actual prison.

I seriously doubt they put kids in places similar to adult prison. If they do,
the USA is just another shithole 3rd world country.............

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alphabettsy
YouTube search ‘ juvenile prison’ and see yourself.

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s2g
The administrator should be fired, the prosecutor should be fired, the kid
should get an apology and restitution.

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handbanana
This article is extremely biased and poorly written. I'd prefer to read
something coherent with a more neutral tone vs an angry one. Sucks for the 13
year old - a felony charge seems extreme.

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WaxProlix
Truly, why can't we just get a balanced look at the many nuances of charging a
13 year old with a felony for recording audio on his cell phone?

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handbanana
The piece is an angry rant, hence my comment

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extralego
As it should be... and you should feel ashamed imo.

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handbanana
Ashamed of what?

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Daishiman
Of deviating the conversation into a ridiculous, meaningless tone-policing
thing.

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handbanana
It was an awfully written blog post, which I mistook as an article.

I agree with the ridiculous assertion, given that I’m to be ashamed and the
top reply to my comment includes the line “I'd take something with an angrier
tone, like an appeal to fire the school principle and ban him from teaching
for life.”

