Special-Ed Student Who Recorded Bullies Accused of Felony Wiretapping

[simsumre]

http://www.vocativ.com/culture/socie...y-wiretapping/

"In Pennsylvania, a high school sophomore with developmental disabilities was convicted of a crime after recording classmates threatening to "pull down his pants"

"After being regularly shoved and tripped, and nearly burned with a cigarette lighter, a tormented special-needs student in Pennsylvania decided to take matters into his own hands. He secretly recorded the abuse on his school-issued iPad, and his mother eventually submitted the evidence to the school’s principal. But instead of punishing the teenage tyrants caught on tape, administrators decided to call the police, who threatened the 15-year-old boy with felony wiretapping, but later reduced the charge to disorderly conduct. He was found guilty on March 19."

"Despite his emotional testimony and his mother’s pleas, the Pennsylvania student was eventually found guilty, though he plans to appeal the ruling during his next court appearance on April 29. The bullies were never punished."

Welcome to America.

[Deleted]

Can anybody tell me when it was that MMO-C became the site for US controversial news?

[simsumre]

Can anybody tell me when it was that MMO-C became the site for US controversial news?

Probably when the admin created a "General Off-Topic" forum.

[Supakaiser]

Can anybody tell me when it was that MMO-C became the site for US controversial news?

2008


/10chars

[Beartastic]

Can anybody tell me when it was that MMO-C became the site for US controversial news?

Off topic forums. If all you're going to do is rant about it, I suggest taking up a journal. It'll make you look like less of an ass.

[Deleted]

2008


/10chars

It has been a tad on the extreme side lately.

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Off topic forums. If all you're going to do is rant about it, I suggest taking up a journal. It'll make you look like less of an ass.

I just mention it, because it is seems more than usual, at least that is what I have noticed.

[Bryntrollian]

Damn the justice system is actually working correctly for once.

[Arlon]

If you don´t want US controversial news, i suggest you tell your media to shut up and stop making controversial actions.

[Pozz]

I don't see anything wrong with it. The law is not a place where sympathy and empathy rules, a law system merely wouldn't work like that.

I feel for the kid, and I wish some solution to the issue had been reached instead of him feeling he 'had' to break the law to get rid of the bullies.

What I wonder though, if teachers/principal had been made aware of the issue, don't they have a responsibility to act? And in that case isn't there a case for suing for not acting on that responsibility? To me it always seems like you can sue for the most idiotic stuff in the states, so I'd have thought you'd be able to press a case like this as well

[shadowfyre27]

In this case the justice system is horridly outdated and a should be updated. The kid shouldn't be charged with anything for recording proof of him being bullied. It's well known that most school employees either over look acts of bullying or just blatantly ignore kids who ask for help with bullying. This kid made an intelligent decision and doesn't deserve to be penalized for it.

[Vargur]

School issue iPAD had such capabilities. It's not his fault if the recorder "accidentally" turned on while he was being tormented by other retards.

[cFortyfive]

Should have shot the guys he had an issue with would have been way easier.

[Arlon]

I don't see anything wrong with it. The law is not a place where sympathy and empathy rules, a law system merely wouldn't work like that.

This is true, but it´s kinda ironic that you put so much fate into the rule of law when the very laws that are there to protect people are making mockery of justice.

[Morden]

Ironic that the US Courts have a problem with citizens wiretapping yet the government has no problems at all with it...

but in all seriousness its pretty ridiculous, but with any luck the students family can sue the school and the bullies for negligence and for emotional distress and assault.

[simsumre]

Ironic that the US Courts have a problem with citizens wiretapping yet the government has no problems at all with it...

but in all seriousness its pretty ridiculous, but with any luck the students family can sue the school and the bullies for negligence and for emotional distress and assault.

One set of rules for us (the slaves) and another set of rules for them (royalty).

[Bryntrollian]

School issue iPAD had such capabilities. It's not his fault if the recorder "accidentally" turned on while he was being tormented by other retards.

Even if that was the case, ignorance wouldn't be valid defense.

[Pozz]

This is true, but it´s kinda ironic that you put so much fate into the rule of law when the very laws that are there to protect people are making mockery of justice.

The laws don't make a mockery of justice, people do that. In a perfect world, the ones at the institution with any authority would've stepped in and taking care of the situation instead of letting it escalate into slightly desperate attempts of being left alone.

[Speaknoevil]

One set of rules for us (the slaves) and another set of rules for them (royalty).

Wait wait wait, who's royalty and who's a slave.

[Theodon]

I don't see anything wrong with it. The law is not a place where sympathy and empathy rules, a law system merely wouldn't work like that.

Sympathy and empathy has nothing to do with it. His safety was at risk and he took measures to eliminate the risk to that safety, and for that he is being punished. The reason we have judges who are human is so they can look at how the law is being applied and use their own judgement to consider if he acted with malicious or harmful intent in this case, and judge him basedon his intentions and his circumstances. He was clearly doing it to protect himself here, just as anyone who is assaulted and fights back isn't charged with assault themselves.

When people just accept hypocritical laws and utterly stupid shit like zero tolerance rules with the logic "you have to accept it" you are just asking to be taken advantage of.

[Morden]

Even if that was the case, ignorance wouldn't be valid defense.

he should have just started dictating notes to himself, would have given him a valid excuse for having it turned on and any additional information it picked up in the background would not have been his fault.

Then he should have taken them to court, and when they denied it he would be allowed to use it as evidence.

the US justice system is flawed, but there are ways around it otherwise the Rich and the powerful would be screwed so they have to leave loopholes.