Little People

Why is it that little people always get the big jobs? Now before anyone gets offended, I don't mean little as in physical size. I'm talking about small minds. Small mean personalities. Like those little rat terrier dogs that bark and bark trying to intimidate making you just want to drop kick them off the face of the planet. (And me a dog lover!)

The child that went to live with his father, had gotten in some trouble with the law in this state before leaving. He was charged with a misdemeanor. Things here escalated (see Jerry Springer) before we had any contact from the legal eagles and the decision was made to send him to his dad's. Then I am contacted by Juvenile Probation and told he has to meet with them on a certain date. Well, said date is two weeks after he's scheduled to leave, so I request an earlier meeting with them. They decline. In particular this little rat terrier declines. Seems he's going to be out of town for three weeks. (Turns out he was getting married). So I request another case worker who will be available. No dice. I am told that he MUST appear on said date. I say no way, not unless they are going to house him 'cause he can't stay here. I will no longer be abused. Again, no dice. So I suggest they transfer the case to the other state. I am told that they don't have the authority to do so. They have no jurisdiction there. The terrier informs me that if the boy doesn't show, they will issue a bench warrant. OK. I did some research. Unless the boy runs afoul of the law again, he has nothing to worry about until he is ready and able to come back and deal with said warrant. Child leaves as planned.

So last week, terrier calls me at work and asks are we going to show? I tell him child is gone. He says child has to come back. I reply that he can pay for transportation and housing as child is not welcome here at this time. He then proceeds to become insulting, judgmental and attempts to intimidate me. I don't intimidate easily.

Now, reports from the coast would indicate that child is rising to the challenge there. Behaving self, working hard and so tired each night from job, that he's falling asleep in his dinner plate. No time or energy for making trouble, and hopefully getting a really good look at how hard we all work to take care of him and what kind of sacrifices are involved. All to the good. But, today, I receive a call from child indicating that the terrier has been calling him. Been making threats he can't follow through on. Such as, if child steps one foot in our state again he will be immediately arrested. I pointed out to child that as of last Sunday when I last crossed the state line, there were no checkpoints asking for papers. Terrier tells child he MUST do x, y and z or else. Tells him that we broke the law by sending him out of state.

Now, I don't think it's ok for the child to escape the consequences of his actions. And whether the terrier agrees or not, he is currently facing several. Consequences that is. But in my humble opinion, if one is trying to engender an attitude of respect towards the law in an adolescent, lies and intimidation are not the way to achieve it.

So I called the little rat today and told him exactly that. I asked him if he had actually said that we broke the law by sending the child away. He replied, yes, he'd checked with the D.A. So I say where is the court order, dated prior to leave date, that says I can't relinquish custody, that I have to keep him here with me. He says that's not the issue. I say it sure as hell is. I say, if they have no jurisdiction in the other state, then where does he get off telling child what to do? Other than requesting him to return and face charges he has no legal rights. If that request is denied, then he (the rat) has the option of having a bench warrant issued. And, I say, what is he doing talking to a minor child without said child being represented, either by a parent or a lawyer? He says child called him, not the other way around. I tell him I have a hard time believing that the child looked up his number and called on his own. Did the rat call first? Well, yes he admits. He left a message and child returned it. "So you did call him. Why do you feel the need to lie and intimidate?" He then replies that he has never done either. I say what do you think you're doing when you tell me I've broken a law by sending the child away? He then replies, "I never said that." "Yes you did. Just ten minutes ago, at the beginning of this conversation. You said you had checked with the D.A." "I never said that," he replies. Then he asks if I want to hear what he has to say about the child's options or continue yelling at him. I inform him that I have not yelled at him. He'd know if I did. I am at work and if I were yelling everyone would know. There is a difference between being emphatic and yelling. Maybe he should invest in a dictionary. I hang up.

So, I make a few phone calls. I intend to make his life a legal hell. You see, the problem is that the LITTLE man has pissed me off. I'm half Italian and half Scot. We're talking about the people that invented the vendetta and clan warfare. You DON'T want to piss me off.