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Parents Charged with 'Neglect' After 11-Year-Old Plays in Yard for 90 Minutes

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by hotballa, Jun 15, 2015.

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hotballa Contributing Member

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http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/06/...ter-11-year-old-son-plays-backyard-90-minutes

Two Florida parents were hit with felony neglect charges after their 11-year-old son was reportedly playing alone in the backyard for an hour and a half.

According to his mother, the boy arrived home before his parents and was locked out of the house, so he shot some hoops in the yard until they arrived.

A neighbor saw the child outside alone and called the local police. When his mother and father arrived home, they were met by a police officer, who arrested them for child negligence.

Robert Bianchi and Steve Raiser joined Clayton Morris on "Fox and Friends Weekend" to debate whether these charges are excessive.

"He didn't know where his parents were. He was locked out of his house. And he didn't have access to emergency services, shelter, food, things like that," Bianchi said.

Raiser countered that there was no danger from the neglect and felony charges may actually cause more damage in this case.

"What is important is in Florida there is no minimum age where a child cannot be left alone at home," Raiser said. "Where is the greater harm? In this government overreach, where they come in and kind of steamroll this family and try to address some sort of neglect charge, they created the harm, because they removed the 11-year-old child from home, along with his four-year-old brother, for a month, in and out of foster care."

"This is a typical example of when government goes too far and actually creates a worse situation than before."

Watch the "Fox and Friends Weekend" clip above.

The parents spoke out recently to Reason magazine. The mother stated: The authorities claim he had no access to water or shelter. We have an open shed in the back yard and 2 working sinks and 2 hoses. They said he had no food. He ate his snacks already. He had no bathroom, but the responding officer found our yard good enough to relieve himself in while our son sat in a police car alone. In his own yard, in a state, Florida, that has no minimum age for children to be alone.
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#1 hotballa, Jun 15, 2015

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FLORIDA...enough said

#2 Nick_713, Jun 15, 2015

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Jeez...my parent's should be serving a life sentence, then. I used to shoot hoops in my driveway all day in the summer while my parents were at work. Sometimes I was locked out because I'd lose my own key. I'd even shoot baskets at night if they went out while I stayed at home by myself as an 8 year-old.

Oh, the horror.

#3 RockFanFirst, Jun 15, 2015
Mr. Clutch Contributing Member

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Baby boomer parents?

#4 Mr. Clutch, Jun 15, 2015
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This must have been a very traumatic event for the child. Now it's even worse with his parents getting arrested.

#5 Mr. Brightside, Jun 15, 2015
hotballa Contributing Member

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Mr. Brightside said: ↑

This must have been a very traumatic event for the child. Now it's even worse with his parents getting arrested.
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the boy and his little brother got put in foster care for like a month after the parents got arrested, because you know thats just so much safer than shooting hoops in your backyard

#6 hotballa, Jun 15, 2015
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Crazy.

[rQUOTEr] I got this letter a week ago and was waiting for the mom’s permission to run it. Got it. Boldface mine:

My children are not free range children. The younger one has always had a baby sitter. The older one who just turned 11 a couple of weeks ago always had a baby sitter as well. This school year that changed. The eleven year old comes home and is met by his dad who lets him in the house. In the event dad isn’t here on time, his instructions are to wait in the backyard until I come home about 20 minutes later.

On this particular day, a little more than a month ago, both dad and I were both running late due bad traffic and rain. We were about and hour and a half late. When we arrived the police had been anonymously called and we were arrested for child neglect.

We still do not have our children, we are fighting for our own freedom and due to the nature of my employment I am no longer employed. My son was in his own yard playing basketball, not in the street or at the park. The authorities claim he had no access to water or shelter. We have an open shed in the back yard and 2 working sinks and 2 hoses. They said he had no food. He ate his snacks already. He had no bathroom, but the responding officer found our yard good enough to relieve himself in while our son sat in a police car alone. In his own yard, in a state, Florida, that has no minimum age for children to be alone. If you have any advice for what I should do I will accept it.
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Then on Friday, the mom wrote back:

I just wanted to give you an update. Our sons were returned to us on Tuesday/Wednesday in the children’s court/DCF with adjudication withheld. However the criminal prosecutor is not dropping the charges as of today. We have to appear in the criminal court on June 11th to put in our plea. I would love to speak to someone however due to my job (which is still on the line) I don’t know if it will make it better or worse. I am a state and county employee with the school system and I was made to sign a paper stating I would not speak with teachers parents or students regarding the matter.
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http://www.freerangekids.com/boy-11...rents-cops-take-him-brother-away-for-a-month/[/rQUOTEr]

#7 J.R., Jun 15, 2015

hotballa Contributing Member

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damn, thats just terrible. seriously.

J.R. said: ↑

Crazy.

[rQUOTEr] I got this letter a week ago and was waiting for the mom’s permission to run it. Got it. Boldface mine:

Then on Friday, the mom wrote back:

http://www.freerangekids.com/boy-11...rents-cops-take-him-brother-away-for-a-month/[/rQUOTEr]
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#8 hotballa, Jun 15, 2015
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Florida: America's tallywacker.

#9 Rocketman95, Jun 15, 2015
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That's just annoying.

#10 Felixthecat, Jun 15, 2015
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Mr. Clutch said: ↑

Baby boomer parents?
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Boomers' kids are all grown. Boomers probably seemed like hypocrites or fuddy duddies in music videos and John Hughes films, but they really didn't give a **** if they weren't in the same room and sober.

#11 Dairy Ashford, Jun 15, 2015
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However the criminal prosecutor is not dropping the charges as of today
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This guy deserves jail time.

#12 hooroo, Jun 15, 2015
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Rocketman95 said: ↑

Florida: America's tallywacker.
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#13 dc rock, Jun 15, 2015

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The person who called police deserves jail time.

#14 Duncan McDonuts, Jun 15, 2015
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Duncan McDonuts said: ↑

The person who called police deserves jail time.
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Depends on intent. Is this the outcome the neighbor wanted? The neighbor didn't necessarily do anything bad. Its the law that is screwed up.

The devils advocate side of me wonders why the kid didn't have a key? Or a backup key hidden?

#15 Space Ghost, Jun 15, 2015
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This is going to be a great story if the kid ever makes it into the NBA.

"And once when I was 11, Stephen, my parents got arrested on felony charges because I was playing basketball by myself for 2 hours in the driveway.

SAS: "Stop! Are you kidding me! That is bona fide blasphemous, disrespectful and pahleeeaaase, the police should be nowhere near your basketball, while you are killing it in your driveway."

#16 heypartner, Jun 15, 2015
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Space Ghost said: ↑

Depends on intent. Is this the outcome the neighbor wanted? The neighbor didn't necessarily do anything bad. Its the law that is screwed up.

The devils advocate side of me wonders why the kid didn't have a key? Or a backup key hidden?
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What does the neighbor expect will happen by calling the police because a kid is playing basketball in his backyard? What possible harm is there to a child playing basketball in his own backyard?

If the parents laid out multiple guns, spike traps and weapons in the backyard, sure, that seems like bad neglect. But there is nothing wrong with how this child was being parented to warrant calling the police.

#17 Duncan McDonuts, Jun 15, 2015
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Duncan McDonuts said: ↑

What does the neighbor expect will happen by calling the police because a kid is playing basketball in his backyard? What possible harm is there to a child playing basketball in his own backyard?
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The parents might not have recognized the kid and just claimed some trespasser was shooting hoops in a neighbor's yard. Otherwise I can't imagine them not talking to the kid and letting him wait in their house.

#18 Dairy Ashford, Jun 15, 2015

B-Bob "94-year-old self-described dreamer"

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Is this the latest "oh noes, the government!" Fox meme? Finding one or two obscure cases, taken out of context, where the real problem is actually stupid, nosey neighbors (and/or the largely unreported full context of whatever is really happening)? SMDH.

I'm surprised my octogenarian parents haven't told me about this one yet.

#19 B-Bob, Jun 15, 2015
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Duncan McDonuts said: ↑

What does the neighbor expect will happen by calling the police because a kid is playing basketball in his backyard? What possible harm is there to a child playing basketball in his own backyard?
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Well, we didn't see it. Maybe he's so bad at basketball that it looked like a seizure.

#20 B-Bob, Jun 15, 2015

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