Clepto

Yesterday we had a clepto in court. This juvenile (a female) had yet to go to high school but managed to already rack up some felony charges. These charges included credit card theft, forgery, and grand larceny. The juvenile was already under a court order for these charges. Today's charge was a simple shoplifting charge (concealmeant). She plead guilty. Then it came time for the sentencing part of the hearing.

Just a little more on the girl to set up the scenario-She apparently was the alleged victim of child abuse so she was removed from her home. The girl was then put into a foster home from which she ran away. She was then placed into a treatment facility for an extended stay. This came after she was detained by the court for failure to appear.

So onto the sentencing phase-I get called into the judge's chambers with this girl's social worker, the city attorney, and her defense lawyer (jackass from a previous mentioned blog) and was asked was to do with her. They were at wit's end and I just simply stood and said, "Put her on probation." It was the only solution I can see. If she does this it will give the court and probation will provide some form of control over the girl and hold her accountable if her actions continue to escalate. The social worker liked it and the judge put her on probation. Amazingly the defense lawyer thought it was a good idea too.

Either way I did my first criminal sentencing with being a prosecutor. WEIRD. Judge thanked me afterwards.

At the same time I looked out the window of the judge's chamber and see my police officer, in his police cruiser, driving down the road in front of the courthouse. Yes my life is crazy....