Juvenile sentencing

Received this from a good friend:

My son got in trouble at Bogalusa Middle School for fighting and calling the bus driver "the B-word." He said he cursed at her because he had not been fighting; she wrongly accused him. Neither he nor the other boy involved had any visible marks or bruises.

I had to go to the principal's office with my son. The principal talked about how awful it was to call the bus driver a bad name and then made a phone call to the Bogalusa Police Department. He said I was to take my son to the PD where they would arrest him for disturbing the peace.

I drove him to the PD, and the officers there said they wouldn't arrest a minor for disturbing the peace.

I took my son back to school and confronted the principal. I accused him of wasting two hours of my time and lying. He said he lied, "To your (my) son." My son was later arrested over the incident. I never saw the bus driver's report about the fight; only about calling her a name.

I was fired from my job for absenteeism, even though the only work I missed, with advance notice, was the court dates and some doctors' appointments.

He's on probation for an entire year. We have to pay $120 in fees for this. He was invited to go to a camp with other kids, and couldn't. He has to ask permission to go out of state and visit his 80-year-old grandmother. We have a social worker at our house twice a week. This is for a misdemeanor.

We have suffered a 40% reduction in income, and maybe more when my unemployment runs out if I don't get a decent job.

Now we read this in the Daily News:

Judge A.J. Hand sentenced Bogalusa City Councilman Danny Stogner a $50 fine for the battery charge and another $50 fine for the resisting an officer charge, plus court costs. The total amount comes to $299.50, which Stogner must pay by July 23.

The District Attorney’s office asked Hand to give Stogner jail time, but the judge did not, said Rick Wood, spokesperson for District Attorney Walter Reed. No probation was issued, Wood said.

I guess if you're feeling nasty and want to stay out of serious trouble, commit battery on an adult and resist the arresting officer. The punishment is less than cursing at a school bus driver and supposedly fighting with another kid - a fight the mother says left no marks.

Is it some kind of "tough love" to punish kids more severely than adults that do more serious crimes? Must be "tough love" on the whole family. According to my friend, they went from being self-sufficient to food stamps and unemployment.

Good going. That's keep the little delinquent in line! He's sure to behave when the family can't keep their lights on or their car insured!

Note: I make no claims as to the veracity of the indented, quoted material above, I am simply reporting what I was told by the frantic mother.

UPDATE: As a matter of interest about the judge, see also this page.