Our Day at Juvenile Court

Juvenile Court – the mear mention makes most of us think – “not my kid!” Yep…I thought so too. I never expected to raise a law-breaker. I expected that all of my boys would make mistakes, but none that would drag us before a judge…especially by the time they were 8 years-old. Life doesn’t always go as planned.

The day we appeared in ‘Juvy’ was frightening for all of us. My son looked so small to have committed a crime worthy of an appearance. We have respect for the law, however, and just as I went to court for my ‘California rolling stop’, we appeared as requested. I secretly considered if my lack of braking fully had set us up for this moment. I quietly pledged before God to come to a complete stop going forward.

Matthew sat next to me in a long row of offenders and their parents. The Judge started the hearing with a speech. I still shudder at the memory of his voice. “Your child committed their crime. You did not. That means that if your child does not have money to pay their fine in their pocket right now, they will be doing community service. Accept that fact now, and the day will go much smoother.” The courtroom was silent with parents looking at their children, wondering if it was wise to slip them some cash. I had no cash to slip…the fee would be on a debit card and we didn’t have one with Matt’s name on it. I looked at him and thought…”Sorry, bud…you did the crime…looks like you will doing the time.”

Most of the children that day were teenagers. Each teen stepped forward alone to face the judge. Matt was sixth on the list. We listened to cases of truancy, drugs, and assault. I wondered how Matt’s case would go. The judge seemed fair but very focused on providing life lessons. Each teen left with an assignment of community service. He didn’t want money…he wanted change. My respect for him grew with each case.

Soon it was Matthew’s turn. He stepped up to the platform.

The Judge asked, “What are you here for, son?”

Matthew looked down and replied…

“I wasn’t wearing my elbow pads.”

There was a murmur across the courtroom. I glanced to see how other parents were processing Matt’s crime. I know it was bad. He could have broken an elbow or scraped his arm while at the community skate park. There could have been an ambulance which would have disrupted the day of other law abiding citizens. The rules were posted everywhere – how could we not have noticed? Seven kids were ticketed that day. Matt was not the only offender. Here he stood alone, however, responsible for his own mistake. In the end, we all face the judge alone no matter how many friends we have. It’s a good lesson on making choices. I saw other parents put their hands on their mouths, apparently shocked at how this young child had already turned to crime.

The Judge didn’t skip a beat…”Were you supposed to be wearing your elbow pads?”

Matt looked up for a brief moment and said, “Yes.” His gaze returned to the floor.

I looked around the courtroom again and realized that several parents were stifling giggles…The judge shot them a look which quickly took the humor from the situation.

“Are you going to wear your elbow pads going forward?” questioned the Judge.

Matt just nodded his head and finally made eye contact.

“Then I will let you off with a warning. I DO NOT want to see you in my courtroom again, do you understand?” The warning was clear. Matt again nodded his head and was released back to my care.

We walked out of the courtroom determined to follow the Judge’s request. The day left its mark. Matt had an opportunity to see what it’s like to be in court at a young age and kept on the straight and narrow afterward. He skated into his early teen years and we went to several competitions over the years. If the park required elbow pads, they were on. Eventually, he moved on to surfing, baseball, and basketball. None required elbow pads…or a trip to juvenile court. He spent the rest of his childhood ticket free, with no additional court visits necessary. Apparently, the Judge had done his job.