Teen Chat Room – get answers to your questions about the law
Ask your questions and make your comments to Judge Tom and your peers here.
9-year-old girl makes Wheaties box
Samantha Gordon, also known as "Sweet Feet" is a nine-year-old phenom in Herriman, Utah. Her YouTube video has gone viral and she nows graces the cover of a Wheaties box. What has Sam done to earn th...[Read More]
12/10/2012 10:04 am
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5/18/2013 4:00 pm
What will happen to me if I ditch school?
State law requires you to be in school for a certain number of days each school year. There is also a maximum number of days allowed for unexcused absences. Once you hit that number, you′ll either b...[Read More]
6/28/2012 10:37 am
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Comment by: brrian
I'm brrian from texas ive skipped school like for 51 days and still havent got caught or gotten a ticket if I fail a test or class would the principal look at my record of absentces to go to next grade or would I be caught soner or later even thoe I stopped
4/27/2013 8:51 am
Comment by: Brian Herbstritt
email me a response thanks ^
1/15/2013 8:52 am
Comment by: eddy
HI, Im 21 and I graduated high school in 2009. In 2007 I received a truancy letter from the school but it turns out they made a mistake with my attendance. The assistant principal took the letter from my hand and said "ill take care of it". I dont recall if i ever received a court summons in the mail. Worst case scenario if they did send me a court hearing , and i did not attend, what's the worst that could happen?
Dear Eddy: It's possible that the matter is still pending in which case you need to contact the court to resolve the matter. If it is still pending, the case should be closed once they find out that you are now 21 and that you graduated from high school. Call the juvenile court in the county where you attended school and simply ask if there is anything pending under your name, date of birth, etc. Good luck.
(This is information only - not legal advice.)
1/14/2013 9:28 am
Comment by: cheyenne williamson
im 14 and a freshman and live in arizona. its my 1st time ditching. How much trouble?
Dear Cheyenne: Check your Student Handbook to see what the rules and policies are concerning unexcused absences. They should be spelled out in the handbook. You may not be facing any consequences since it's your first time, but keep in mind that the more school you miss, the more likely you will be facing detention, in school suspension and even be referred to truancy court. Good luck.
(This is information only - not legal advice.)
1/9/2013 10:59 am
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12/29/2012 2:17 pm
Anonymous
Dear Judge T,
First and foremost, thank you for reading. I am a 17 year old female (senior in high school) and I live in Cleveland, Ohio. Yesterday, I was sexually assaulted by one of my classmates in my home. My parents and I have filed a police report, I went to the hospital and did a "rape kit", have talked to the detective on my case, etc. Long story short, the detective asks if he could retrieve my iPod (the suspect mentioned it) and has my mom and I sign a consent form saying we're allowing them to look through the phone and etc. They leave and that's where the whole trouble begins.
On that iPod I have nude photos of myself. Some of those nude photos I have sent through email and text messaging to 3 men at different times who are all over the age of 18. The suspect/classmate who I believe is also 17 I have sent him a nude photo of my rear just once. I have also at one point back in December of 2012 sent nude photos of another women who had her pictures up online (she was a porn star) to other men (I pretended to be her and had a fake dating profile). The photos of the women have been deleted since January but my nude photos are still on that iPod that the police currently have. My parents know EVERYTHING I have just told them today, this has been an exhausting couple of days for them. The law is the law, I am extremely afraid of what is going to happen to me as far as the iPod is concerned. If my photos surface what legality issues do you think I am facing?
5/17/2013 5:36 pm
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Judge Tom
Dear Anon: You can Google the name of your state and "sexting laws" to see if any laws have been broken. Some states have specific laws covering some of the things you did. You and your parents can also talk with a local criminal defense lawyer for advice. Many provide an initial free consultation. Ask about this if you call someone. Good luck.
5/18/2013 8:16 am
Anonymous
If a lawyer is charging me 5,000 per month because I'm dealing with anxiety in a situation he's advising me on and he's the only one that I said I trusted, is this legitimate? I am of legal age.
5/17/2013 7:32 pm
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Judge Tom
If you agreed to this amount for legal advice, there' nothing illegal about it. Lawyers may charge by the hour for their services or a lump sum for a task they undertake on your behalf. You can always discuss this with the lawyer to obtain a better understanding of their fees and the work being done.
5/18/2013 8:11 am
Anonymous
me and my ex got into a fight and we were both drunk he threw me into a wall and then wouldnt hand me mi stuff to leave i threatend him and broke his windshield on accident and he handed me the object to do it and told me to can we both get in trouble or just me or him
5/17/2013 12:02 pm
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Judge Tom
Based on what you've described there may be enough evidence to charge you with criminal damage and threatening. He could be charged with assault. It will depend on the laws where this happened, the position of the police and prosecutor. Good luck.
5/17/2013 1:03 pm
Anonymous
This girl has been bullying me at school for 3 years now.. I'm a junior in high school it started my freshman year. EVERY year I go to the office and report it, and NOTHING changes. I'm not afraid to fight her its just I don't want to get in trouble over something the school should be handling. What should I do? ):
5/16/2013 6:10 pm
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Judge Tom
Dear Anon: We're sorry to hear about your circumstances. We strongly encourage you to talk to you parents about the bullying and to schedule a meeting with the principal so that something will be done about it. If the principal continues to fail to act, you and your parents could make a complaint to the superintendent. Finally, if you feel that you can't talk to your parents for some reason, please talk to another you trust like the school counselor or a teacher or another relative. You are entitled to an education in a safe learning environment and therefore, the bullying needs to stop. Take care of yourself.
5/16/2013 9:24 pm
