Hello:

Can juveniles be charged with a CRIME simply for running away?

excon

I sure the Po Po can come up with an excuse to charge them for running away.

Hello spit:

Oh, I'm sure they can and do.. But, when I was answering a young persons question, I found out that I really didn't know WHO is victimized when a kid runs away.. So, I couldn't answer that part of her question.

excon

Depends on what you call a crime, they can be declared deliquent and put in to Juv Detention Center.

Hello again, Padre:

So, running away IS a crime... How screwed up is THAT??

excon

Depends on what you call a crime, they can be declared deliquent and put in to Juv Detention Center.

When you say delinquent do you mean from school and that is why they would be charged?

It depends on the circumstances.

If you knew he was an officer and he told you to stop in the course of his duties and he had probable cause to stop you then yes you committed a crime.

If the officer just happened upon you and you ran and said officer had no probable cause to stop or contact you then no you did not commit a crime.

It all depends on the circumstances. The officer has to stop and contact you during a consensual contact (Terry V. ohio) or has to have probable cause/reasonable suspicion that you are in the commission or about to commit a crime. Probale cause/reasonable supsicion can be obtained by numerous reasons (ie: running away from a known drug area, wearing dark clothes at night in a high crime/burglary area etc).

Just running way from an officer does not consitute a crime.

Has nothing to do with school, that is another issue,
Delinquent is a term used by Juv courts to classify a youth offender that is not listening to the parents, they may be getting into petty issues, curfew but also used in a larger term to classify youth offenders in many states. This may be done along with their crimes or instead of, or for violations of rules and guidelines that are not criminal but not allowed due to their age.

A 13 year old girl who refuses to stop having sex, while they may not be charged with this as a crime, the courts can decide that her home life is part of the issue and that she is delinquent and the state needs to step in and supervise the child.

This is the case of a runaway, normally the first time, they will return the child to the home, sometimes on probation but after a couple of times or more, they may declare the youth delinquent, which allows the state to take away parenting rights, or lock the youth up for the youths protection and well being.

Juv court is not like or the same as adult court, you can actually be found not guilty of the crime you go to court for, but if the judge feels that there are issues in the home life, or other problems that have caused the child to come before the court, the court can investigate, the homelife, the school life, the child's friends and more. Then can then use this power to set and control the youth by using this broad term delinquent

Hello again,

It's a good thing I was never a kid.

excon

Hello again,

It's a good thing I was never a kid.

excon

It's a good thing I was smart and never got caught ;)