Teen jailed for courthouse call
Categories: Teens & tweens, In the news
Kids these days! I tell ya! I can understand bringing your cell phone to court -- you might break down on the way there or back and need to call for a tow truck or you might just want to call someone afterwards and let them know you'll be home for dinner instead of in three to five. I could even understand forgetting to turn it off or set it to silent mode and looking around sheepishly and apologetically while you frantically try to shut the thing up, should someone call while the court is in session.Actually taking a call, however, seems a bit much, especially if you're sitting in the front row. Apparently, magistrate Daynor Trigg of Australia's Northern Territory thinks so too, and told a seventeen-year-old so when the boy did just that. The teen was in court to answer two charges of breaking and entering and stealing when his phone rang. "How dare you answer a phone in court ... that allows transmissions from court ... which is a serious contempt,'' shouted the judge.
The teen responded flippantly and the judge sent him off to cool down in the court's holding cells. Two hours later, the boy was back in court where he apologized to the judge, saying "Sorry your honour for um ... having my phone on and answering it during court and backchatting." What made the boy's actions even worse is that the phone call came in moments after the judge had warned the court to turn off the cell phones.
"One of the problems that seems to be developing within our community." the judge opined from the bench, "is that there is so much time devoted by schools and others to telling people what their rights are, without the corresponding lessons being taught as to what people's obligations are." I agree completely. In many places, we enjoy great freedoms, but with those rights come great responsibilities as well. Hopefully, this kid learned his lesson well.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Paige 5-22-2008 @ 3:37PM
Wow, guess he learned his lesson!
Paige
www.angietheant.com
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MELYNDARENE 5-24-2008 @ 8:27PM
Tim,
Get a life...and please go answer your phone in court!
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dslsand 5-24-2008 @ 8:58PM
This is a virus
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MaryR 5-24-2008 @ 9:05PM
LOL what an arse this kids is. Serves him right and I would have done FAR worst to him!
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Leigh 5-24-2008 @ 9:06PM
Well said dslsand! It IS a virus!!! Does everyone really think they are THAT important?!?!?!?! Here's a clencher for you........a teenage kids phone went off right in the middle of a friend of mines funeral!!! Right in the chapel!!! Of course, his mother did nothing. Hopefully, she let him have it when he got home. AND, his ringer was set on a disgusting rap song!!! It was awful!! Something has to be done about it.
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TonyaLeigh 5-25-2008 @ 12:06AM
I can't agree with rap being disgusting!...But I think even a normal ring would be offensive in this situation....It's all about a lack of respect in my opinion!!!
cortez 5-24-2008 @ 9:12PM
HOORAY FOR THE JUDGE.
RESPONSIBILITIES, ARE FOR OTHER PEOPLE, NOT ME... HENSE YOU HAVE A YOUNG MAN IN COURT ANSWERING CHARGES OF BREAKING AND ENTERING..HE DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT PROPERTY THAT BELONGS TO OTHER PEOPLE.
THESE LITTLE THIEVES WILL STEAL FROM PARENTS, RELATIVES, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, WITHOUT EVEN BATTING AN EYE. THEY ARE THE END RESULT OF THE DRUG TRADE. THEY ARE NO GOOD FOR THEIR NATION OR OURS... HANG A FEW OF EM AND MAYBE THEY'D STAY OUTTA OTHER PEOPLES HOMES....
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JAN 5-25-2008 @ 1:22AM
SORRY ..MOST KIDS NOW DAYS, ARE SO DAMN SPOILED. NOT JUST DRUGS MAKING THEM DO IT.. IT IS, THAT THEY THINK THEY HAVE THE RIGHT ... THEY ARE "SPECIAL"!
Don 5-24-2008 @ 10:02PM
They should of hung him by his balls after this arrogant idiot teen ager pulled that crap. Parents start taking care of your kids or they will be in jail.
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carolyn 5-24-2008 @ 10:18PM
Truly, if it happens in court that just is ludicrous. Adults and kids alike think that phones are ok any time any place. It is a sad state when that happens in court! It happens in church too, amazing. People cannot silent their phones for just one hour?
In school recently I had a student take a call from home. THERE was no emergency, just that the mom needed to pick her up instead of her riding the bus. This conversation could have been done during lunch or something, but no, right in the middle of ALGEBRA class!!
I took the phone and spoke to the mom, who in turn ... lit into me for interrupting. I told the mom as per the school code, phones are to be off during the lessons and classes.
I am not surprised that the kid had his phone in court. I am not surprised how blatantly selfish people are about their phones!
What I think we all need is phone protocal. Not only that, but for people to be respectful of others. I cannot imagine a phone going off in a funeral, that is disgusting!! such disrespect for others!
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Former sailor 5-24-2008 @ 11:55PM
Carolyn: I assume you are not an English teacher: I counted at least twelve errors in grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation, in your post. Normally, I wouldn't worry about all of that, because very few people today seem to have taken English in school, but, because you seem to be a teacher, I had to point out that you need to work on your writing.
Gatorspwnall 5-24-2008 @ 10:20PM
you guys are all pathetic -- yes he was wrong to answer his phone during court but to string him up by his balls? and to say that kids are the end of our nation.. sweet yeah you guys are right. congratulations on your smart comments
when you sum up all kids and say that they steal from there parents neighbors, everyone else, your just as pathetic as those kids are.
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carolyn 5-24-2008 @ 10:22PM
Don you are so right... and I hope that this does not continue in the downward spiral we see as to teens and their phones.
It is so curious that at the beginning of the 9th grade year at school, rarely do the students have phones or ipods for the first few weeks, then , it is an epidemic, with phones, and ipods, yet, the students do not have a pencil to save their soul.
Parents are being too lenient with giving phones to the students.!!
Teens have no idea what respect for other people is when they are given EVERYTHING their heart desires, with little or no effort on their part.
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mark 5-24-2008 @ 10:24PM
In the Fed courthouse here in Rochester NY. They take your phone away form you when you walk in the door if you have to be in a courtroom. Only if you can take photo's on it. But if you got a phone that can't that photo's IT better be OFF.Or you can get a very nice fine if its on.
4
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carolyn 5-24-2008 @ 10:25PM
WE did not classify all teens in this category, but there are plenty of them who do fit this scenario.
There are some wonderful teens ... who are far too often not recognized for giving to others, volunteering, excelling at sports, music, academics... and just being well rounded young adults.
On the other hand, I have taught for over 25 years, and seen a decrease in some areas ... in regard to manners, etc.
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Tanya 5-25-2008 @ 1:03AM
As far as the kids raising kids your right. However i had a child at 17 and my child is now 12 he respects his adults and is a very good child he helps our elderly neighbors and has honor roll in school. So not all are this way. It has to do with how your parents act. If they are disrespectful then the child will be as well. So you can't always blame the kids. My in laws were great to my hubby when he was growing up but he still did a lot of wrong.
knippenr 5-24-2008 @ 10:26PM
should put his parents in jail with him.
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carolyn 5-24-2008 @ 10:34PM
the issue: parents are becoming younger, despite birth control out there. Parents need to be involved in their teens lives, and give some type of guidance... (sound guidance).
It is merely kids raising kids nowadays.
Teens will not have respect for the phone issue, until there are consequences.
Willie 5-24-2008 @ 10:43PM
"It takes a village to raise a child" is how it works, but today people want no outsiders interferring with their families. The problem is by NOT letting the community 'help' you raise your children,and the FACT that you are too busy living your own life to properly care for & about your children who are, without proper guidance, raising theirselves with the help of their friends & the irresponsible media.
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jonas 5-25-2008 @ 12:12AM
You are so full of shit, It takes parents who care to raise a child, not a damn village, that is the problem with today everybody wants to shove the responsibility on somebody else for the raising of their kids, Like Judge Judy would say "You made them so you take care of them". to that I say AMEN!!!!!