Judge Tom
Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including the recently published 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing). When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom can be found hiking, traveling and reading.
Miranda warnings and the 19-year-old Boston bomber
As you know by now, the annual Boston Marathon was tragically the target of terrorists on April 15, 2013. Four hours into the race and near the finish line, two bombs were detonated killing three people and injuring over 250 others. The deceased included an …
Is it legal for teens to buy the “morning-after pill?”
In April, 2013, the Food and Drug Administration lowered the age for girls as young as 15 to buy emergency contraception including the morning-after pill. Studies revealed that women 15 years of age and older were able to understand how the Plan B One-Step and …
Teen arrested for wearing an NRA T-shirt
Jared Marcum is 14 and a student at a middle school in West Virginia. His school district has a dress code that prohibits clothing and any accessories that display violence, profanity, discriminatory messages or sexually suggestive phrases. In April, 2013, Jared wore a t-shirt to school …
Cyberbullying claims two more teen lives
Once again, we see the abuse that can be unleashed by cruel and irresponsible use of the Internet. We’re also witnessing the behavior of teenagers who engage in illegal and immoral activities, video-record and post their acts online. Such has resulted in several cyberbullying deaths. …
More intolerance of childish behavior
“In my eyes, it’s irrelevant; I don’t care who he pointed it at,” said William Welch. “It was harmless. It was a danish.” Mr. Welch is the father of a 7-year-old Josh Welch who goes to Park Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland. In March, 2013, the …
The Supreme Court speaks pre-Newtown and Sandy Hook Elementary
The Supreme Court considered a student free speech case in 2007 (Morse v. Frederick) that you may have heard of. It involved a homemade banner created by Joseph Frederick, a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska. In January, 2002, the Olympic Torch was passing …
