AP: Jailed Child's Family Getting $221,000

[Eugene]

Jailed Child's Family Getting $221,000

The Associated Press
Friday, April 14, 2006; 12:52 PM

ESPANOLA, N.M. -- The family of a third-grader who was handcuffed and jailed after misbehaving
at school will receive $221,000 from the city and its insurer to settle a lawsuit.

Jerry Trujillo, then 8, was sent the school counselor's office after he hit another child
with a basketball in August 2004, his mother said. The juvenile citation for disorderly conduct
said Jerry then "got out of control and refused to go back to class."

After police were summoned, Jerry was booked into the city jail, dressed in an orange jumpsuit
and placed in a holding cell while adult inmates in a nearby cell taunted him, according to the
lawsuit. He was released to his parents a half hour later.

The family's attorney, Sheri Raphaelson, said her clients were relieved Jerry would not have
to testify. A jury already had been chosen to hear the federal civil rights lawsuit, but both
sides filed a motion to dismiss the case on Monday.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041400854.html

[bluestateguy]

1. The kid's got a nice college fund now

Even after the lawyers take their cut, the kid has a good start on paying for college.

[connecticut yankee]

2. The way costs are escalating

by the time he gets to college, it should pay for about one semester.

[SlipperySlope]

3. What I want to know is when is the cop who arrested him being convicted?

The money isn't what is important. Putting the cop who exceeded his authority behind bars is.

[progressivebydesign]

4. Hit another child, went wild in the office.. doubt he's going to college

Sorry.. but I'd be schocked if the kid finished high school. He has some type of anger problem.. unless the parents spend part of that money finding out why the kid went ballistic at school, he'll probably drop out. Not saying that they should have arrested him, obviously... but there's an issue there that's being ignored. Anger. doesn't make for successful students or lives.

[SoCalDem]

5. My thoughts too.. The family will probably buy some SUVs,

have a party and blow the money.. I hope the money was put into a trust for the kid, but I doubt it..

221K is a lot, but not that much if parents go on a spending spree.. I've seen it done many times,...

a few cars, big screen tvs, computers, video systems and other frills later, they're broke again..

[Poll_Blind]

7. So quick to piss away his future prospects? He's 8 years old.

I have one son, my girlfriend has two sons and we frequently watch 7-10 children total on the weekends. Children are full of wildly-inappropriate behavior. They're children. They don't yet have the tools or wisdom to understand all of their emotions and often their egregious behavior shows that.

But they are children. They grow up. You can't take a child's bad behavior and hold it against them forever or use it as some grim fortelling of their future. That's what parenting is all about- shaping a person into a man or woman. Kids can have very, very bad days. Under pressure, they act out. Maybe this child will never go to college. Maybe he will. To damn them for this behavior on that day is just a little cruel.

He's a child. Kids fuck up. With guidance and experience they realize the pointlessness of their bad behaviors and the usefulness of their good ones. That's how growing up works.

PB

[pushycat]

6. What's the deal with dressing him in the orange jump suit?

That's what Guantanamo terra terra guys have to wear. Is this war on our kids now? Are they the new terra terra?

Who decides to do things like this? Are all Law Enforcement just a bunch of psychos now? sheeeit

[Poll_Blind]

8. Yeah, that was fucked up. About as fucked as putting him in a cell near..

...adult inmates, which is extremely dangerous for a child.

PB