17 yr old Runaway not guilty

[dbunkerid]

My 17 year old left our house and left behind a suicide note. I panicked and called a friend in the police department. He said I should report him as a runaway so the local police could help locate him. I contacted the city police, they came over and I gave them all the information and descriptions they needed. My husband and daughter went out looking for my son. I contacted the police back and forth all night, there was not ever any help from them, except reports filed. I headed out the next day looking for my son because there had been a few hits on his cell phone that morning. I found him in the mountains he was ok. He came home and I called the police to cancel the runaway report. The next day I took my son to a psyciatric hospital where they talked to him, he decided on his own will, that he would admit himself for a safe place and some help. I got a call from the hospital the next day because my son had escaped. I received a call from him a few minutes later and I picked him up. He told me he was in lockdown and treated like a criminal, this is not what he understood was going to happen. I called the hospital and discharged him. I got a letter this weekend from the juvenile court system saying he needed to come in for an out of court hearing, that he needs to plead guilty to the runaway charge, and pay them a charge to put him into a program, and he will be on probation. If he states he is not guily, it up to the prosecuting attorney to decide if he should go to court, or dismiss it. I don't know what I should do, I only called the police as a service to help me, it was never explained to me that he would face juvenile charges for the report.

 

[calalily]

I would really consult a lawyer on this one. Tell the lawyer what you stated about the police telling you to file a run-a-way report and you were not informed of the ramifications. You could do this yourself for your son in court, but I think it would be better to be represented. Also, hopefully your son is in counseling and that needs to be shown (receipts and letter from counselor) to the court that you are handling the situation privately.

 

[dbunkerid]

Thanks for your information. I will talk to an attorney. My son is not in counseling, but he has been counseled by his grandfather and other close friends.

 

[calalily]

It would probably help your case to have your son seeing a professional counselor. (And good for your son too.)