At a recent lunch meeting, my co-workers and I were sharing stories about our childhood. I have a coworker "Mindy" who has a very energetic view of life and tends to succumb to spontaneity.
Traditional marketing practices in the late 60's and early 70's often included sending potential customers free samples via mail of a newly introduced product. I'd venture that many a child was enthralled by these new items as Mindy was. Not really understanding the concept or purpose of mail, daily she would check the mailbox to see if any new samples had arrived.
One summer day a fabulous new item arrived. She doesn't remember exactly what that item was but it was fabulous. She excitedly opened the package and used the sample. Now wouldn't another one be great. She looked around her neighborhood and noticed that every house had a mailbox. They would all have these samples too! She quickly took her bag and proceeded to remove the mail from everyone's box. Now most of it was just worthless paper, which she promptly hid underneath a tree in the backyard.
That evening many neighbors noticed the lack of mail in their boxes. Typically neighborhood gossip help identify the culprit. Being a less than logical honest 8-year old, she quickly denied her crime. The threat of federal prison from her neighbor lady caused such fear in her that she continued to deny her involvement for several days.
Finally after it became apparent this issue was not "going way" she surrendered her bag of mail. The neighbors promptly dumped it out on the table and claimed their mail.
She still wonders...is that neighbor lady right...could I go to federal prison for this?
3 comments:
Stealing or opening mail that isn't yours is a federal crime, I'm quite sure. I don't think an 8 year old would be sentenced for it. However, with the law, sometimes you never know!
In Canada, we have the Young Offenders Act which protects even teenagers.
However, the Amnesty International has open complaints about U.S. Law in that it can actually be used to imprison very young people, supposedly.
According to Amenesty International: "US laws are inconsistent with the approach of the international community on this issue. Over half of US states have at least one offence for which a child of any age can be prosecuted in the general criminal court. A similar situation prevails with respect to the juvenile justice system. Only 15 states specify a minimum age below which children cannot be charged with being delinquent in a juvenile court. In North Carolina the minimum age is six; in Maryland, Massachusetts and New York it is seven."
Amensty International also says: "n civil matters, state and federal laws recognize the immaturity and irresponsibility of children. For example, they typically establish eighteen as the minimum age to get married without parental consent, to vote, to sign contracts, or to serve on a jury. Yet in forty-two states and under federal law, the commission of a serious crime by children under eighteen--indeed in some states children as young as ten--transforms them instantly into adults for criminal justice purposes. Children who are too young to buy cigarettes legally, boys who may not have started to get facial hair, kids who still have stuffed animals on their beds, are tried as adults, and if convicted, receive adult prison sentences, including life without parole"
Take it for what you will, as IANAL (I Am Not A Lawyer). The only reason I'm quoting Amnesty International is because I don't know where in the U.S. Legal System such a thing would be specified. As I said Canada has a Young Offenders Act, but I'm unsure if the USA has anything similar.
Laura,
You CRACK me up! I have loved surfing your blog tonight. Your stories have me laughing...you can definitely tell a good story! It was good to see you this weekend and all the wedding talk reminded me that I have to get my dress adjusted! YIKES! Well, looking forward to the wedding and wishing you a wonderful week!
Jolynn
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