Court trumps dad over detention
Categories: Teens & tweens, Divorce & custody, Weird but true
Gee, I hope my kids don't read this story -- I don't need to show up in court every time I send them to sit on the stairs. You see, a twelve-year-old girl in Quebec, Canada didn't like being grounded -- and missing a graduation trip with her elementary school mates -- so she filed a lawsuit. Just over a week ago, Quebec Superior Court Judge Suzanne Tessier ruled that the father's punishment was out-of-line.At first, the punishment was simply that the daughter was not allowed to go online because she had posted pictures of herself on an internet dating site, but then, when she got into a fight with her stepmother, the dad brought the hammer down -- "OK, it's final. You're not going," he told her, referring to the school trip. The girl took off and went to stay with her mother. She filed a motion asking the court to overturn the punishment.
The Judge's reasoning was that the girl had already been sufficiently punished and that, since she was currently living with her mother, the punishment wasn't really applicable. The father does have custody, but in Quebec, parents do have "joint parental authority," according to Miriam Grassby, a Quebec family lawyer, regardless of who has custody.
I don't know all the details of the situation, and it does seem that everyone considers this to be an anomaly, but I'd hate to see the already over-worked courts dealing with disgruntled teens on a regular basis. What do you think?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Lisa 6-23-2008 @ 2:23AM
That's crazy. Ok, she got punished for putting up photos on a dating site, then she got into an argument with her Step mother and she was punished with that by losing the trip. I'm sorry, but the judge not only hurt the father's authority with this issue but told the 12 year old girl by this ruling that she can pretty much treat her step mother how ever she wants to. That's not right at all.
I don't think it's right that kids can take parents to court for things like this. It doesn't sound like there was abuse involved and when a child does something that should be punished don't we usually take away whatever they want the most? Who's to tell parents they are being excessive in this case? Unreal to me. Excessive is beating your kids. Taking away a trip is not.
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Susan 6-25-2008 @ 9:57AM
I argee 100%, you said it all!
Adam 6-25-2008 @ 10:28AM
Hey you know, "You got'sta do what you got'sta do." Tommy once said that on the rug rats when he needed to save the day from adults. So, she had to do what she had to do to triumph of adult tiereny.
jeannie 6-25-2008 @ 12:34PM
Absolutely agree with you! And you know what is really CRAZY...Everyone (including the courts!) Tells us as parents to monitor what your children do online. There are alot of sick people out there..etc. etc; So you do this, you punish them, and the court says "Oh no..." thats not right!! WHAT??? are you serious??? Then you know what, don't blame me when my kids are running around a menance to society! The courts did it not me!! If my kid got molested by some freak on the internet, its bad parenting...but if you try and prevent it, it's bad parenting...Someone Please give me a manuel with these kids, preferably one that has all the laws and guidelines attached to it.
EMOKID1988 6-26-2008 @ 3:43AM
PPL FAIL TO SEE THE FACT, THAT YOUR KIDS REFLECT U AS A PARENT. WE R SO QUICK TO BLAME THEM FOR BEING "SPOILED", BUT NEGLECT HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY IN THE FIRST PLACE. MAYBE IF HER PARENTS HAD PUT THEIR FOOT DOWN AT A YOUNGER AGE, THIS COURT RULING BULL SHIT, WOULDNT HAVE HAPPENED. DONT GET ME WRONG AS A 20 YEAR OLD, I LIKE THE THOUGHT THAT I COULD HAVE SUED MY PARENTS, BUT EVEN I HAVE TO AGREE, THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH. SHE TOOK IT WAY TOO FAR. BUT WE CANT BLAME HER, FOR SOMETHING HER PAERNTS OBVIOUSLY FORGOT TO TEACH HER, WAS NEGATIVE. IF ANY ONE IS TO BLAME ITS THEM =]
amanda 7-01-2008 @ 5:21PM
Last time I checked, kids are citizens too and have the right to take things to court.
Rae Whitlock 6-23-2008 @ 8:36AM
Frightening precedent. Wonder how long it'll take for this to come to the US.
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mike 6-25-2008 @ 6:22AM
It has already,we need to get the state out of the homes,and let the parents back in to control our kids!
Lisa 6-23-2008 @ 9:46AM
Considering how many people want to follow in the steps of Canada and other socialized countries, it probably will come to the U.S. soon. After all, isn't the government better able to make our decisions for us (including our parenting ones)? I guess for those who think it takes a village are probably willing to hand their kids over to the village to be raised.
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Monica 6-23-2008 @ 12:33PM
It should also be noted that this went to court because the mother disagreed as well. The family court system has a review system for situations where divorced parents do not agree with each other and responsibility is not clearly spelled out in the custody agreement.
This is not a case where a child randomly sued her parents over discipline (although that is how it's being presented in the media).
Debbie McNeil 6-25-2008 @ 7:00AM
And we wonder...why our teenagers act the way they do today!
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sd hurt 6-25-2008 @ 7:03AM
if the court is going to hand out punishments, they need also to gain custody and hand in the child support payments. i mean really when we have court systems overrun with real crime they have the time to be a surrogate parent? no i dont think so.
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jasper5245 6-25-2008 @ 8:30AM
Next time they should ship the lil brat over to the judges house and let him feed and clothed her.
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jasper5245 6-25-2008 @ 8:33AM
And we wonder why people are not having kids anymore.
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Alvin 6-25-2008 @ 9:06AM
So turn it around and whenever you want to punish the child... Get a court order... Shouldn't have to do that but that is basicall what this judge just said...
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James 6-25-2008 @ 9:18AM
First, to hell with the lawyer that took the case. Second, to hell with the idiot judge who didn't throw the case out of court.
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Lisa 6-25-2008 @ 9:19AM
Dad was being spiteful because she fought with stepmom.
I'm glad the girl got help from a judge, parents can be complete idiots.
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paula 6-25-2008 @ 2:19PM
sounds to me like you are the idiot either that or you dont have kids yourself the kid needs to treat the stepmother with some respect and the mother needs to not try to over rule the punishment the father gives just because she is jealous of the stepmother
mike 6-25-2008 @ 9:26AM
they should whip that kids ass and be done with it
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rcott 6-25-2008 @ 9:56AM
The story doesn't talk about what problems existed on an ongoing basis between the step-m and the teen. My guess is that the kid has been playing the parents and step-m against each other like violins and the father had enough. That the mother took her instead of making her deal with the problem might be a clue. I'm guessing that this is a manipulative, spoiled kid who's just pulled off a coup that is going to make life really miserable for all of the adults in her life. May God have mercy on those adults.
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