Last month, we reported on the story of a British mother who had an electronic ankle monitor slapped on her for failing to ensure her girls attended school. Now it seems that the concept of truancy-as-child-abuse has jumped the Atlantic. A Virginia mother is about to stand trial because her son has missed 65 days of school. (The girls in the British mother's case missed closer to 160.)

Kim Cherry says that her son missed those days due to a combination of factors, including mono and the death of his dad. Neither the prosecutor's office nor the school system seem to have made their reasoning for prosecution public. Malicious prosecution - or a story where there's more than meets the eye? Time will tell…