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01/12/07
Boy, 7, arrested after throwing backpack
St. Petersburg Times
10/22/04
11-year-old charged with sex battery
Hernando Today
SPRING HILL - An 11-year-old boy is charged with
two counts of sexual battery after he was accused of molesting a
4-year-old girl and a 5-year-old girl. James Pegg of 350 Upland Road
faces charges of sexual battery on a child under the age of 12. Pegg is
a fifth-grader at West Side Elementary School, authorities said. An
affidavit said during interviews both girls told police Pegg used a
plastic bulb to insert into their private parts. A witness told police
that in July he found Pegg and the victims in a closet, wearing only
underwear and a shirt. The witness told police the girls looked scared,
the affidavit said. When Pegg was interviewed, he said he did not do
anything and did not want to speak to investigators. He was turned over
to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
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10/06/04
Police arrest boy after scuffle (8-year-old handcuffed, charged with
battery)
James L. Rosica, Tallahassee Democrat
It was
a typical scuffle between two youngsters - some name-calling, a slap on
the face, a punch to the stomach. After it was over, however,
Tallahassee police handcuffed the 8-year-old boy who picked the fight
and took him to a juvenile facility Monday night, charging him with
misdemeanor battery and criminal mischief. But the boy's arrest raises
the usual questions about arresting kids, including: At what age is
there criminal intent?
top05/14/04
Teen facing threat charge
Shannon Tan, St. Petersburg Times
Officials say a former
Largo Middle student discussed shooting the school resource officer and
blowing things up.
Cathy Corry, a Clearwater resident who founded Justice4kids.org to
advocate juvenile justice issues, said officials should not have treated
the incident as a crime. "It's the criminalizing of adolescent
misdeeds," she said.
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 04/09/04
Girl, 9, arrested in bunny snatching
Steve Thompson,
St. Petersburg Times
The girl, who began to cry during questioning, admitted taking
Oreo the rabbit but denied taking two $5 bills and some change, according to a
Sheriff's Office report.
Asked Thursday whether such an arrest is standard procedure,
sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll responded: "To arrest burglars? Sure."
A more common approach, said Pasco-Pinellas Public Defender
Bob Dillinger, would be for the deputy to have taken a report and referred the
charges to the state attorney. "There's just a lot of other things you can do
with a third-grader," he said. "There are alternatives other than a simple
arrest.
04/10/04
Girl recounts her frightening arrest
Steve Thompson, Pasco County Edition, St. Petersburg Times
Stephanie Jefferson, 9, watched nervously as the judge asked each of the
other juveniles ahead of her if they wanted a lawyer. "Should I say yes or no?"
Stephanie asked her mother, Star Spearel. "Well," her mom responded, "did you
take the rabbit?" "Yes," Stephanie replied. "Then you don't need a lawyer," her
mother said.
04/10/04
No matter the age, stealing is wrong
Barbara Fredricksen, Pasco County Column, St. Petersburg Times
Please forgive me if I'm less than sympathetic to the 9-year-old girl who is
accused of going into a neighbor's house to steal a child's pet rabbit and grab
a fistful of cash.
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03/25/04 When did 'boy talk' become a crime?
Cathy Corry, Letters to the Editor, St. Petersburg Times
Re: Gun talk sparks inquiry of pupils, story, March 20.
Thank you for writing about our children who aren't allowed to be
youthfully stupid anymore for fear of getting arrested. Adolescent
misdeeds and youthful indiscretions are no longer allowed to be a part
of the growth process. Children, you must act like adults and talk like
adults.
Oh, so sorry, but you are not mature enough to vote or be a juror or
drink alcohol.
Incredible that the two students at Largo Middle School could face
criminal charges for talking in a classroom about the Columbine
shootings. Nowhere did your article reference an actual crime that was
committed. What criminal charge might these two young boys face? The
police and state attorney have had more than a week to pore over the
Florida statutes to figure out how this "talking" constitutes an actual
crime. They will surely dream up a criminal charge so these boys can be
raked through the injustices of the corrupt judicial system.
No doubt at all, this "boy talk" is extremely disturbing and needs to
be seriously addressed by the school, the community and the families of
the boys. But, a crime?
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03/24/04 Plant City teacher kills baby rabbits in front of class
Associated Press, Daytona Beach News-Journal
A teenager would be arrested for the act described in this article...
"But Jane Bender [a Plant City teacher] won't face criminal charges
for killing the sickly rabbits..."
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03/24/04 Mother sues principal who held toy gun to son's neck
Associated Press, Daytona Beach News-Journal
In police interviews, [principal] Samore, 49, said he wasn't was
trying to frighten the student but wanted to "illustrate to him that
even toy guns scare people."
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