inregault

11/7/07 In re: Gault -- Panel Intervview at the Constitution Center

Last Wednsday, at the ConstituionCenter, I went to a special event. It was about Gerald Gault who 40 years ago had a court case that ended up getting all kids the right to a lawyer. When he was fifteen, Gault was sentenced for prank phone calls he didn't even make. He was arrested. Back then kids didn't have the rights that grownups did. When kids were arrested the police and courts did have to had comply with the 14th Amendment. He filed a habeas corpus petition which went up to the Supreme Court. It was an 8 to 1 decision and the Court said that kids have the right to counsel, a lawyer in court, and the right to notice which says what you have been accused of, and the other rights that adults had.

The event was set up like a panel or an interview. There was a lady from NPR, GeraldGault, Joane Epps, and Hilary T, and ELizabeth Scott among one other member. It was a very interesting. In Hilary T"s.case she wrote obsene words on a My Space
she meant it as a joke but was not taken lightly. She was taken to a detention center. When she was taken to the court she asked for the right to counsel (a lawyer).

At the end, there were questions. When it was over, I GOT TO MEET GERLAD GAULT UP CLOSE AND PERSONALLY. We shook hands and I told of a project I did last year about due process and how I was working on a project about searches and seizures in kids lockers. Gerald said that when he was a kid they searched kids lockers and even confiscated what they found. IT WAS A VERY COOL FUN NIGHT. This is helpful to kids so that they don't go to jail unless there is a good reason and a fair process.