KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
#Knowyourrights
All too frequently young people make decisions that can forever change the trajectory of their life. That is why I created a presentation entitled #KNOWYOURRIGHTS for our teens, to empower our teens with knowledge.
1ST misconception
Your youth status protects you from criminal prosecution and jail.
Starting at age 13, a youth can be criminally convicted of a crime. A youth will automatically be treated as an adult and prosecuted in the Superior Court for the following crimes:
Murder
Voluntary Manslaughter
Rape
Aggravated Sodomy
Aggravated Child Molestation
Aggravated Sexual Battery
Armed Robbery with a Firearm
Aggravated Assault with a Firearm upon a Public Safety Officer
Aggravated Battery with a Firearm upon a Public Safety Officer
Some of the above captioned charges carry “mandatory minimum” periods of confinement. In the criminal justice system, a teen is considered an adult at age 17. This means if you are arrested and charged with a crime, you will be treated as an adult.
2ND misconception
Social media is the place to air your disputes with others.
Oftentimes, the first place law enforcement investigate criminal activity are social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Once something is uploaded onto these outlets, you may delete the content, but it is still retrievable.
Therefore, do not post pictures, messages, or videos you would not share with your parent or guardian, teacher, pastor, or your local law enforcement officer.
If you see a harmful picture, message, or video on social media, report it to your local law enforcement agency.
3RD misconception
i did not commit the crime, my friend did. I was just there and oh yeah, we talked about it.
Too frequently, youths incorrectly believe if they are not the perpetrator of a crime, they cannot be charged. For example, let us say two teens discuss burglarizing a home, customarily known as “hitting a lick.” One teen decides to break into the home and commit a theft of property. The other teen remains outside and does not enter the property. Once the burglary is complete (breaking/entering and theft) the teens leave together.
It is a myth to believe that the teen who did not enter the home cannot be charged. Under Georgia law, the teen waiting outside could be charged as a “party to the crime.” Party to the crime means a person intentionally causes another to commit a crime, intentionally aids or abets in the commission of the crime; or intentionally advises, encourages, hires, counsels, or procures another to commit the crime. Arguably, the teen waiting outside was a “lookout” or encouraged/counseled/advised the other teen that broke into the home to commit the crime of burglary, therefore that teen will likewise be charged with Burglary and treated as if they too entered the home and committed a theft.
In short, if you become aware that a friend, loved one, or associate intends to violate the law, do not entertain the conversation, and immediately disassociate yourself from that individual(s).
#kNOWYOURRIGHTS
I created the #KnowYourRights presentation to empower our youths with the knowledge to make the choices that keep them in the classroom and out of the criminal justice system.
