South Fulton Proposed Ordinance Could Jail Parents For Kid’s Behavior
A proposed South Fulton ordinance would fine parents between $25 and $100 or send them to jail for up to 30 days for crimes their children commit.
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If your teenager breaks the law in South Fulton, the city is considering the option of sending you to jail.
A proposed city ordinance would fine parents between $25 and $100 or send them to jail for up to 30 days for crimes their children commit.
City Council member Helen Willis is behind the ordinance. She said this would apply to parents who assist in their children breaking the law or if they fail to perform parental duties, such as letting the child drink alcohol.
“When you bring kids into this world, you are responsible for their actions,” Willis said. “You are also responsible to make sure they follow laws and they follow rules.”
But Juvenile Court Judge Steve Teske thinks otherwise.
“You still can’t assume that because a kid broke into a house three times it’s the parents fault,” Teske said. “That’s still a big leap.”
Teske serves on the state’s advisory council for the Department of Juvenile Justice.
He said it is hard to prove a parent directly contributed to a child breaking the law.
“You bring them into a courtroom, you think that fining them $100 is going to cause them to quit their jobs so they can stay home and watch their kids 24/7?” he said. “That’s ridiculous.”
South Fulton is holding a town hall meeting Monday evening to get community input on the measure.
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