Case of the Central City Drug Bust
Three Central City High School sophomores went to the mall one afternoon. The three-Sandra, Alan, and Jim-were approached by a 22-year-old woman. She offered to sell them grass (marijuana) and cocaine. Jim made a purchase.
After telling his friends he'd meet them later, Jim talked with the dealer, Daisy. He asked if he could become a seller at the high school. Jim was anxious to make some money. His bike needed repairs, and he wanted to buy some stereo equipment.
Daisy Dealer suggested that they return to the "drug warehouse." There, they could discuss the possibility with her supplier, Harry Wholesaler. They drove to an old, converted garage. They didn't know that the police had a stakeout on the garage. A raid was planned that afternoon.
Jim and Daisy were at the drug warehouse. They were talking with Harry Wholesaler. The police closed in on the warehouse within the hour. Jim, Daisy, and Harry were arrested. Note that in formal terms, Jim, as a juvenile, was "taken into custody" rather than "arrested."
1. What do you think Jim’s consequence might be at this point? How about Daisy and Harry?
In the Case of the Central City Drug Bust, two of the three parties to the crime are adults (Harry and Daisy). One of them is not. The high school student, Jim, is 16 years old. Because he is under 17, his case is treated differently by the state of Georgia. It will be handled by the juvenile court in the county in which the incident occurred.
Jim was taken into custody by the police when Harry and Daisy were arrested. At the police station, Jim was taken upstairs to Detective Wade's office. Detective Wade is the juvenile officer for the Central City police department.
Officer Wade was not too surprised to see Jim. Jim had been in trouble several times during the past year. He had been stopped for racing on the highway, and his driving privileges had been taken away for six months. He had been taken into custody for shoplifting on two occasions. Each time, the store owner declined to sign a complaint against Jim. (A complaint is the document that must be filed to begin juvenile court proceedings.)
Detective Wade notified the juvenile authorities that Jim was in custody. The authorities sent someone to take Jim to the juvenile detention facility.
Detective Wade also called Jim's mother. She came to the police station as soon as she could. She was very upset. She explained that she was divorced and that she had to support herself and Jim by working long hours. It was becoming more and more difficult, she said, to get along with Jim.
Detective Wade told Jim's mother that Jim was being detained for possession of drugs, including a large amount of cocaine. If Jim were an adult, Detective Wade said, Jim would be tried for a felony. Because he was a juvenile, his case would be heard in the juvenile court, but the charges were still very serious. Detective Wade then read Jim his Miranda rights.
2. How could have Jim avoided this entire situation? Be specific.