Another Police JOKE

Last Wednesday I let a friend of mine use my car for the week to get to work. Friday 11-6-09 her 15 year old daughter snuck into her moms bedroom and took her purse that had little over $1,000 dollars in it and the keys to my car. This 15 year old girl stole my car and the purse and took off to Joliet. This is not the first, second, or third time this girl has run off stealing things and the cops and courts let her off with slap on wrist. This time Braidwood police cop Goodwin WILL not charge her with auto theft, saying she took car without permission! Will not charge her with stealing the $1,000 dollars from her mom even though the parents have said enough is enough and want to press charges against there own daughter! So on Sunday the Joliet police found her in front of Central High school and turned on the lights and she took off in a police chase. She shortly ran off the road and hit a tree 10ft from a man standing on the corner of the street and Braidwood police Goodwin still will not up the charges!!! What does it take? Joliet is holding this Girl asking for charges to be changed and we are waiting for answer from states attorney.

Guess she should have stole a semi-truck Braidwood would have been all over that!

Have the parents go to the State's Attorneys office themselves and speak directly to an assistant D.A. The Braidwood police are of little help when it comes to an out of control teen.If the car was yours then I would think that you could press charges yourself,since the girl was not the one who had permission to use it.It may be worth checking into especially since there was surely damage to your car.

As a juvenile - the BPD would write up the incident for review for juvenile court to bring any charges, a petition, if you will.

She may be charged yet - just not by the BPD - but by the juvenile court.

The main problem is that the juvenile court system is very picky, espically in Illinois. They make it very hard at the locall level to punish juveniles, espically those between the ages of 10 to 16. My family works very closely with youth counceling centers in Joliet and that is one of our major concerns. The ones that can't be corrected with counceling and coursework get off the hook when they mess up big time. They slap their hands and give a "how to parent" speech to the parents and go about their way. Weird thing is, a 13 year old could commit murder and get off with a few months in juvie but if that same 13 year old commits an arson crime, they can get put away for life. Illinois law system is messed up to say the least.

Press charges yourself and get a lawyer.

This is so sad.
We focused so much on self-esteem,instead of truth, we got self-absorbed, self-centered and self-ish young people.
I'm sure she learned before kindergarten that stealing is wrong. Maybe she doesn't get that stealing is stealing, even if it's from your own family.
I'm sorry for the parents. I'm sure they tried to instill dignity in the young lady. Somehow I doubt the court can help her find it again.
And as for the BPD, they certainly have no dignity to share.

So after an all day event at the juvenile court in Joliet, after 4 Joliet cops, 1 doctor from the juvenile lock up who told the states attorney she knew what she was doing when she took the money and car, for them to charge her with theft of motor vehicle and theft of personal belongings over $1,000. After her court hearing the public defender asked the parents if they wanted to take her home! WOW WOW steal a car and go home... Thankfully the parents said NO.
We were told to go back to Braidwood and tell them they have to change the charges down here and if they still refuse to call states attorneys office and they will make them.
She is now looking at spending her time in juvy till she is 18 years old!!!

Glad to here that she will be responsible for her actions.Also glad to hear that the Braidwood police will see that they do not have the final call in this matter.I hope the parents are able to stay strong, as the love we have for our children sometimes results in turning a blind eye to bad behavior.

Kim Earling wrote:

So after an all day event at the juvenile court in Joliet, after 4 Joliet cops, 1 doctor from the juvenile lock up who told the states attorney she knew what she was doing when she took the money and car, for them to charge her with theft of motor vehicle and theft of personal belongings over $1,000. After her court hearing the public defender asked the parents if they wanted to take her home! WOW WOW steal a car and go home... Thankfully the parents said NO.
We were told to go back to Braidwood and tell them they have to change the charges down here and if they still refuse to call states attorneys office and they will make them.
She is now looking at spending her time in juvy till she is 18 years old!!!

Not defending BPD. You can not personally file a complaint against anyone under 17 in Illinois. An officer writes up a report (regardless of what "charge" is stated in that report) and forwards the file to the States Attorney's Office (most have a juvenile division). It is up to the state to file the appropriate charge (i.e. change a theft to burglary, etc..) The police have no aurthority to file complaints. Juveniles can be arrested, but they have to meet a certain criteria, theft, burglary, alone usually will not meet the minimum to place a child in detention. It has to be a violent crime (dometic battery, aggravated battery, etc...). Don't blame the police here. It is the system in Illinois. Getting a lawyer and "insisting" that chages be brought will not work. The state can, and has, simply chosen not to prosecute certain cases, it's called prosecutoral descretion. I have seen it done. The state doesn't even have to give a reason. You do have a civil court option however.

how about you find friends that don't have terrible kids? or don't leave your car with her. you knew her daughter was like that, why take the risk?

it's common sense.