Dad Gets Probation for Making Son Walk Home

[Ben]

After I read the story, I tried to take a step back and say, "yeah, it's different than when I was a kid who walked home every day" but still couldn't figure out how the dad could be guilty and get probation versus a warning. I see kids walking to and from the elementary school next door by themselves every day. I haven't been to the part of Hawaii where this happened in years, but the "traffic" excuse the judge and prosecutor gave doesn't hold water. It's not that overpopulated there, and there are well-designated sidewalks and paths for tourists adjacent to all the busy streets. Obviously the child predator concern is a concern in many places.

Also, honestly, I kinda liked the dad's reasoning about "walk to think about what you've done". I've always found walking to be a natural way to think things through and problem solve, so actually think there was some good parenting going on. Also, once the dad said that he understood the judge about the concern, it seems that would have been the point to just let him go with a "warning" versus giving him a criminal record.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/29/hawaii-man-gets-probation-for-making-kid-walk-1-mile-judge-calls-it-old-school/?intcmp=latestnews

[Boomhauer]

Holy *expletive deleted*ck ONE WHOLE MILE that right there is child abuse!

Jesus there are some straight up retards...and the judge is one of them

[Monkeyleg]

I was walking to school in the 2nd grade, and a couple of miles to school in the 4th grade and thereafter. I would have been walking to school in 3rd, but the school was several miles down a busy highway.

I hope there's more to this story than what's printed, or the judge should be bounced out of office.

[dogmush]

The age of the kid makes a HUGE difference here.

5-6? Prolly not cool.

10? eh, depends on the kid.

13-14? Make them do two laps.


The story is missing a key piece of information.

[mtnbkr]

The age of the kid makes a HUGE difference here.

5-6? Prolly not cool.

10? eh, depends on the kid.

13-14? Make them do two laps.


The story is missing a key piece of information.

Agree completely.  I was riding my bike to school by the time I was 12.  That was a couple miles in each directoin.

Chris

[Ben]

The age of the kid makes a HUGE difference here.

The story is missing a key piece of information.

This is true. As an old guy, I can throw out the "when I was 5, I was walking all over the place by myself". However nowadays, I don't think there is anywhere I would let a 5 year old walk by themselves. From the 10 years and up range, I think it has a lot to do with both the kid and the location. Probably "yes" in Smalltown ID, very likely "no" in downtown Chicago.

[geronimotwo]

i was in 2nd grade when i started walking to school by myself.  about a mile each way by the roads, i'd say 2/3 of that if you cut crosslots.  i don't believe the predators are any more prevalent today than they were 50-100 years ago, they just get more publicity now.

eta, dealing with cps, and going through 2 court proceedings should have been enough of a punishment.

[roo_ster]

Tar + feathers or this damnfoolery will not stop.

[HankB]

In kindergarten, my mother walked me to and from school, a little over 1/2 mile each way. By 1st grade, I was walking a mile to school (different school) and didn't think anything of it. (I often got a ride in bad weather.)

Again, for this story, the kid's age is a critical piece of missing information . . .  but unless the kid is really little, handicapped, has to walk on the shoulder of a busy highway, the judge is an idiot.

[wmenorr67]

Age of the child should play into the factor.  Other bit of information is did the father make him walk but follow behind or keep him in sight during the trek.

Hell I used to walk probably close to a mile from 2nd grade through 5th grade in all kinds of weather.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I hope my kid doesn't hear about this I will be going to jail. She walked 2 1/2 miles in the dark on a narrow country rd. she got mouthy with mom and I put her out. I did follow her. Several neighbors saw it but it's been a week no cops. She's 13. Her 7 year old sister learned something just watching and 13 year old gas acted right since


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[dogmush]

I just google maps'd my home and elementary schools, and my other home and middle schools.

I would occasionally ride my bike 5 miles to 4-6th grade (on a bike path next to the highway).  By 7th and 8th grade that bike ride was 7.3 miles.  Through a town.

Now I didn't do it every day, I had parents for rides in elementary, and school buses in middle school, it was common for once a week or so I would ride my bike.  I liked the freedom of scheduling it gave me.  I could hang out at a friends house for an hour or so or just play.  I was a latchkey kid by those years.

The telling thing is that that wasn't unusual.  a large percentage of kids at both schools would do similar things.  The kids whose parents wouldn't let them due to road issues (there are roads in Anchorage that smart adults don't ride bikes on) were jealous of our freedom.

Like geronimotwo, I don't think predators are more common now then they were 25-30 years ago.  I think we (as a society) have just trained ourselves and our children to think of them as helpless.  it's becoming not unusual for a child to need their parents support into their mid 20's.  If a 25 YO isn't ready to face the world, obviously a 12 YO is helpless.

Without returning to marrying our daughters off at the first onset of puberty it would be worth remembering that for the most of human history, right up into the 20th century 10-14 YO could and did hold jobs, make life decisions and in some cases march to war just fine.  15-16 was fine to start a family and be a [young] adult.  Kids are not near as innocent and fragile as their parents would like to think.

Denial, as they say, ain't just a river in Egypt.


*caveat:  We still don't know where this happened, or how old the kid was.  The judge could still be right.  Dad might have marched a 7YO through Little Beirut for all we know.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Kid was 8 . I would bust his butt for going into neighbors car. And neighbor and I would talk.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20140529_Kauai_man_gets_probation_for_making_son_walk_1_mile_home.html


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[cassandra and sara's daddy]

There are kids who ride a bus 1/4 mile to my kids school. The kid across the street has to get escorted across the street and to the front door.


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[wmenorr67]

Kid was 8 . I would bust his butt for going into neighbors car. And neighbor and I would talk.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20140529_Kauai_man_gets_probation_for_making_son_walk_1_mile_home.html


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This in spades.

[vaskidmark]

Demond was also ordered to attend a parenting class after being convicted of endangering the welfare of a minor, a misdemeanor.

Show me the police reports of child molestations (or even child molestation attempts) and pedestrian traffic accidents to sustain the charge of endangering.

Otherwise it's just the judge imposing his PC values on not only this dad but the rest of the community.

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/histatutes/5/37/709/709-904

(1) Except as provided in section 709-903.5(2), a person commits the offense of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree if, having care or custody of a minor, the person:
(a) Recklessly allows another person to inflict serious or substantial bodily injury on the minor; or
(b) Recklessly causes or permits the minor to inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the minor's body any controlled substance listed in sections 329-14, 329-16, 329-18, and 329-20 that has not been prescribed by a physician for the minor, except as permitted under section 329-122. This subsection shall not apply to nursing mothers who may cause the ingestion or introduction of detectable amounts of any controlled substance listed in sections 329-14, 329-16, 329-18, and 329-20 to their minor children through breastfeeding.
(2) A person commits the offense of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree if, being a parent, guardian, or other person whether or not charged with the care or custody of a minor, the person knowingly endangers the minor's physical or mental welfare by violating or interfering with any legal duty of care or protection owed such minor.
(3) Endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree is a misdemeanor. [L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; am L 1974, c 198, §1; am L 1986, c 314, §71; am L 2006, c 230, §45 and c 249, §2; am L 2008, c 81, §2]
- See more at: http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/histatutes/5/37/709/709-904#sthash.pKTEmTdo.dpuf

Three (3) and only three possiblities, all involving the element of recklesness.  As I read what's available, the dad was quite deliberate and (regardless of how much time passed) thought out his action rather than acting recklessly.

Be sure to read the "Commentary" that follows the above cited statute.  It addresses certain acts that, although classified under the law as "reckless", may in fact also be well thought out and considered by the person so acting.  Yet, none of those additions to the original act come anywhere near the current case situation.

Too bad the dad seems willing to take his licks as opposed to appealing.

stay safe.

[dogmush]

Oh yeah, the added story. Took the kid to a safe place to drop him off, and then went back to check on him? That neighbor would need to move soon.

In the judges defense he pleaded no contest. Might probation have been the minimum?

[Nick1911]

I'm sure his son certainly learned a lesson.  Probably not a good one, either.

[dogmush]

Makes an old fashioned whooping seem a better alternative.

KISS

[MillCreek]

No one knows what story the kid told the neighbor.  Depending on what I was told by the child, I could easily see not returning him home but rather calling the police.  I do that sort of thing all the time when kids tell me stories that could be consistent with abuse or neglect.  Once they tell me, I have to do something about it.

[brimic]

I still remember the laughter I got in response when I called my Dad over the phone (pay phone) to pick me up after football practice when I was a freshman- the school was only 3 miles away. 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I was 11 and got a job . Dad did not want me to work. So when I got off at midnite I had to walk home 3 miles. He thought I would quit. He was mistaken


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[Scout26]

When China/India/Russia/AQ finnaly develop the ways and means to invade, this will be one of the reasons why they well win easily.....

[MechAg94]

I recall walking to school for a little while in 1st and 2nd grade.  I also recall at least one instance of a van pulling up to offer a ride (declined).  At some point (maybe after that), my Mom drove us.  That was in a declining part of Houston in the late 70's.  That was a peak crime period in Houston I think.  We move out of Houston and road a school bus after that.  

[White Horseradish]

My oldest just got registered at his new high school. He does not get a bus pass because we are closer than 2 miles, which the school considers "walking distance".

Don't they have this kind of thing in Hawaii?