All of these kids could have been arrested at their home address. Obviously some prosecutorial grandstanding is going on here.
Garden Grove (AP) – Three 12-year-old girls were arrested at their schools for allegedly giving false statements to police that led to the arrest and eight-month incarceration of a homeless man, authorities said.
The girls were arrested on a felony charge of conspiring to falsely accuse 36-year-old Eric Nordmark, police said. One girl also was charged with one count of perjury. All three were taken Monday to Orange County Juvenile Hall.
“She was scared and started shaking,” said Veronica Mendez Ochoa, the mother of one of two girls arrested at James Irvine Intermediate School in Garden Grove. “She’s a little girl, but they handcuffed her like she was a murderer.”
Mr. Nordmark was a homeless guy, handcuffed like a child molester. He spent 8 months in jail awaiting trial; a place where child molesters are the bottom of the food chain – universally reviled by other felons. I imagine he’s not losing sleep over the girls arrest.
Prosecutorial/police granstanding? Absolutely- and disgustingly so. However, since child molesters ARE the lowest of the low in the prison system, I can only imagine what that guy went through. I’ve read some other articles that indicate he harbors no ill will. He didn’t order those kids to be arrested- and being innocent, I wouldn’t blame him for feeling some sense of satisfaction that the girls are being held responsible. But again, being held responsible DOESN’T mean they need to be needlessly humiliated.
Hmm…maybe whoever decided to arrest the girls at school wanted to send a message to their classmates that false accusations might yield unpleasant consequences. As a father of five (7 to 19), I can’t really say I have a problem with that.
She’s a little girl, but they handcuffed her like she was a murderer.
Or someone who falsely accused a man of being a child molester, most likely resulting in said innocent man losing his homosexual virginity, so to speak.
Yup, the more I think about it, the less problem I have with it.
Prosecutorial/police granstanding?
NOPE!
Police have learned long ago it is better to arrest kids at school than home.
At home they knock on the door and a parent answers who gets emotional and want to “protect” their kids. That leads to bad situations. (not hard to imagine huh?)
At school the staff calls the kid into the principals office and the cops quietly escort them out. This is almost always done by plain closed officers near the end of school.
It is standard procedure in many jurisdictions. If you think about it, it really is a no brainer.