Nasty yearbook can net you felony charges.

[shortylickens]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-surname-masturbate-high-school-yearbook.html

I agree with the property damage. Those books have to be reprinted and that costs money. And some students leave high school immediately and go explore the world. Lord knows if they will ever get their copy.

The harassment thing bothers me a tad, when the victim says they are fine. harassment is all about how you made them feel. Thats the substance of the charge.

 

[Theb]

yearbook staff spent 12 hours placing stickers on the altered page with the student's correct name.

They should've had the student apply the stickers. That would punish her and fix the yearbooks. Criminal charges are ridiculous.

 

[lagokc]

on suspicion of changing a student's last name from Mastain to 'masturbate' in the yearbook.

That's not even punchy or creative. Mastain changes much more easily to "Abstain".

 

[sourn]

Pretty sad the victim of the crime is smarter then the rest of the idiots. I get some punishment is required, but they should not be criminal charges. Specially freaking felony charges; that's just freaking insane.

What would've been a great punishment was have her (booth) sticker each and every year book. Now that would've been punishment that fit the crime.

 

[OverVolt]

She was making the year book not just writing in it. Less people to compete against in the labor poor I guess.

 

[gevorg]

 

[IBMer]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-surname-masturbate-high-school-yearbook.html

I agree with the property damage. Those books have to be reprinted and that costs money. And some students leave high school immediately and go explore the world. Lord knows if they will ever get their copy.

The harassment thing bothers me a tad, when the victim says they are fine. harassment is all about how you made them feel. Thats the substance of the charge.

The victim might also be acting "cool" about it due to pressure as well. I think 17 is old enough for them to be responsible for actions that have financial costs.

 

[Oyeve]

She should be arrested. Just because the victim says she's cool with doesn't mean the person should not be held accountable.

 

[piasabird]

Heaven forbid we actually expect someone take responsibility for something. If this is a case with a pre-meditated act, then at least make the person pay to have all the books reprinted or something like that. One way to look at it is there were damages done and there may be criminal intent. Another way to look at this is there were parties with damages and a civil law suit may be applicable. The school probably makes money off of the the yearbooks, and the students have damages because they expect all the old names be correct.

So how about the Editor? The school should be editing the final copy before it goes to print.

Just imagine the cost it would take to reprint yearbooks. Some high schools are rather large these days.

 

[Oldgamer]

We really over react in this country. Why felony charges? This is a typical highschool student prank, and we over react with jail time and felony charges? This is just stupid.

 

[Oyeve]

We really over react in this country. Why felony charges? This is a typical highschool student prank, and we over react with jail time and felony charges? This is just stupid.

And how do you think this should be handled?

 

[bignateyk]

And how do you think this should be handled?

Oh I don't know.. maybe community service, a fine. Lot's of options that don't involve a lifelong felony on record for a stupid highschool prank.

 

[Oyeve]

Oh I don't know.. maybe community service, a fine. Lot's of options that don't involve a lifelong felony on record for a stupid highschool prank.

That's fine. I would also like the school to reprint at the cost of $41000 and bill her.

 

[PingSpike]

I think they should just make her pay for all the year books to be reprinted with the offending name corrected and her own changed to "Broke ass bean flicker" and call it a day.

 

[Brainonska511]

We really over react in this country. Why felony charges? This is a typical highschool student prank, and we over react with jail time and felony charges? This is just stupid.

Where in the article does it point out she is actually going to jail? How would you force community service on her without filing any criminal charges?

 

[Oldgamer]

And how do you think this should be handled?

The school could have just taken her to a juvenile court who would have ordered community service, in addition to some type of fine to cover some of the expense. But since the school is not actually reprinting the books, make her put the friggin stickers on each and everyone. A felony is really over the top. Kids do stupid stuff, stupid pranks all the time, I know I did when I was growing up. But we never use to react with charging kids felonies and misdemeanors for stuff like this. It just seems like we over react to every minor thing a kid does with a prank, or even by accident, like the case of the girl who mixed chemicals and had a minor explosion, because she was curious.

You don't ruin a childs entire life for something like this.

 

[Oldgamer]

Where in the article does it point out she is actually going to jail? How would you force community service on her without filing any criminal charges?

You do realize that when you are arrested you are taken to jail right? That is standard procedure. At the jail her parents would have had to bond her out for a court date. A felony is not something they just let a kid go home for.

 

[Genx87]

And how do you think this should be handled?

How about the person who did this pay for reprinting the books? Felony charges? Really? What is our fascination with destroying people's lives over small things?

 

[DrPizza]

The numbers were the first thing that hit me -

TWELVE HOURS for 700 yearbooks? That's less than 1 sticker per minute, IF they're talking about man hours. "Staff spent 12 hours" - that implies to me that more than 1 person was working for 12 hours... Pathetic.

It's not a "high school prank." When the fuck will you kids learn that destruction of property, bullying, etc., is not a "prank." Pranks are harmless. This wasn't.

How about the person who did this pay for reprinting the books? Felony charges? Really? What is our fascination with destroying people's lives over small things?

You did read the article, right? $41,000 if they reprinted the books. Do you really expect that even if she's charged with a felony that the final verdict will be for the felony charge, rather than a reduced charge of some sort of misdemeanor? "Here, we're just going to charge you an amount nearly equal to the median household income for one year in this state. I hope this won't screw up your life, your college plans, etc."

 

[Oyeve]

You don't ruin a childs entire life for something like this.

The offender could have easily ruined the victims life, how about that?

 

[Genx87]

The numbers were the first thing that hit me -

TWELVE HOURS for 700 yearbooks? That's less than 1 sticker per minute, IF they're talking about man hours. "Staff spent 12 hours" - that implies to me that more than 1 person was working for 12 hours... Pathetic.

It's not a "high school prank." When the fuck will you kids learn that destruction of property, bullying, etc., is not a "prank." Pranks are harmless. This wasn't.


You did read the article, right? $41,000 if they reprinted the books. Do you really expect that even if she's charged with a felony that the final verdict will be for the felony charge, rather than a reduced charge of some sort of misdemeanor? "Here, we're just going to charge you an amount nearly equal to the median household income for one year in this state. I hope this won't screw up your life, your college plans, etc."

I have no idea whether the final verdict will be for felony conviction. Why risk it at all? You think hitting her with a 41,000 dollar charge is worse than placing a felony conviction on her record? Hard to get a job or into college with that on your record.

 

[kami333]

We really over react in this country. Why felony charges? This is a typical highschool student prank, and we over react with jail time and felony charges? This is just stupid.

Intentional property damage over $750 by definition is first-degree property damage and a felony according to Missouri state law.

link

I think it will probably be plead down to a misdemeanor, especially since they were able to fix it with stickers, but I think the charge is appropriate at this stage.

 

[Oldgamer]

The offender could have easily ruined the victims life, how about that?

Ummm.. Hardly. At the worst you have a yearbook with the offensive name on it, you laugh about years later as to being a stupid prank. Its a bit of a stretch to say this would ruin the victims life. Not only that, she didnt seem to be bothered to much by it according to the article.

Again, people making mountains out of molehills.

 

[DrPizza]

We really over react in this country. Why felony charges? This is a typical highschool student prank, and we over react with jail time and felony charges? This is just stupid.

When the hell are people going to stop excusing vandalism and destruction of people's property as "just a high school prank." That excuse is NEVER valid when property is damaged.

 

[Oyeve]

When the hell are people going to stop excusing vandalism and destruction of people's property as "just a high school prank." That excuse is NEVER valid when property is damaged.

Exactly. The problem is the that shit like this gets pushed aside as a prank when stern action should take place. A 17 yr old should be held accountable to the full extent of the law.