Comments on: “Texas honor student jailed for missing too much school”

By: gitarcarver

gitarcarver — Thu, 31 May 2012 21:42:52 +0000

And just when this couldn’t get any noteworthy / special / weird / insert adjective here, comes this:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/community-aid-jailed-texas-honor-student/story?id=16464091#.T8flPsiROSY

A 17-year-old Texas honors student who was jailed for missing too much school because she had to work two jobs to support her siblings, refused to accept the more than $100,000 a website raised for her.
…
But Tran didn’t want the money: “There’s some other kid out there struggling more … than me,” she said.

By: gitarcarver

gitarcarver — Thu, 31 May 2012 15:21:05 +0000

The judge has now set aside the contempt order for Tran.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/31/texas-judge-dismisses-contempt-charges-against-honor-student-jailed-for-truancy/

By: Bumper

Bumper — Wed, 30 May 2012 17:56:24 +0000

First, this young lady may not have to work for quite a while:
http://www.helpdianetran.com/
Second, I hope the voters of Texas recall Judge Moriarty.
Third, I hope the Republican Party throws him out.
Fourth, I hope the Texas legislature changes the law….

By: Richard Nieporent

Richard Nieporent — Wed, 30 May 2012 00:46:32 +0000

Sorry DD, but that is just not correct. Except in the case of mandatory minimum sentences, a judge has complete discretion as to the penalty. The issue was not whether she was guilty of truancy, she was, but what the penalty would be. There was absolutely no reason that he had to sentence her to a day in jail. In fact, he was being deliberately harsh for no other reason than he is an a**hole.

By: MF

MF — Tue, 29 May 2012 23:28:37 +0000

What was the school’s role in this?

Realize that for schools, attendance is critical. They get paid based on butts in seats. If a student isn’t in school, they don’t get the dollar amount for each day the student isn’t there, with the exception for specifically granted illness. So a student who doesn’t have a parent call in, and who doesn’t have an explicit doctor’s note, is noted as an unexcused absence, which means the school doesn’t get their money.

Remember, it’s for the kids (TM). No, it’s all about money.

By: DensityDuck

DensityDuck — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:45:49 +0000

Ed: That’s kind of what I figured. The law says what it says, and the judge is constrained to follow it. If the judge starts making exceptions for poor little cute girls who work hard, then he’s forever after going to be explaining why he isn’t making exceptions for every other kid who comes up on truancy charges.

Ironically, people who think that Zimmerman is innocent should support this decision, because it’s the same thing from the other direction. If public opinion were allowed to override the law then Zimmerman would be fried chicken by now.

By: ParatrooperJJ

ParatrooperJJ — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:22:04 +0000

She needs to file a complaint with the state nursing board.

By: Richard Nieporent

Richard Nieporent — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:34:08 +0000

So what every happened to that kind and caring government that we hear so much about from the Leftists? It would appear that you will obey the letter of the law or else is closer to the truth. Doesn’t the school have guidance counselors who can speak to the child and find out what the problem is and make a decision on whether or not to report the child accordingly? Of course not, that would make too much sense. And of course it doesn’t stop with the school system. Here you have the court system also acting in a callous and uncaring manner. This sorry excuse for a judge is going to make an example of her. Why? Does he thing that this honor student was missing school for the fun of it? I bet he gets his chuckles from throwing an honor student in jail.

By: When Schools Are Like Jails — Or Worse

When Schools Are Like Jails — Or Worse — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:18:30 +0000

[…] Legal, Nanny State, Personal Liberty, Politics as Usual, Zeitgeist Tweet A 17-year-old Texas honor student has been jailed for missing too much school. Diane Tran works both full-time and part-time jobs, in addition to […]

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:08:27 +0000

My wife’s job entails her filing truancy charges. There is no wiggle room at all. The school doesn’t get to decide, you miss x days, you get filed on. Not as bad as zero tolerance, but close.
Not sure about Tx, but here there are multiple warnings and letters prior to that point.