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We live in a small town and this past week my son was at a party and things got heated over a girl. The town punk hit my son and then climbed on him and hit him until he was out cold. My sons arms were pinned so he could not fight back or defend himself. He has had to have his jaw wired shut because of a compound fracture to his jaw. The local police are doing little because my son can't remember much. What can I do to make him pay? My son is 17 and the boy that hit him is 18
You would do the same as in the city. Contact the law enforcement, file a complaint and give them names of witnesses. If your son can't remember much (I assume due to the beating), the witnesses should be able to provide information to the police. If it is an extremely small town and you feel the police aren't doing anything because they are "buddies" with the family of the accused, document all the "non-action" and contact the county prosecutor"s office, either personally or through your attorney.
Honestly, if I got into a fight over a girl and got my jaw broken at that age, the LEAST of my worries would be the broken jaw. My father would have had a cow.
"Your son can't remember???" Gee, I wonder why.... Getting into a fight like that is just plain stupid. The fact that his arms were pinned and he got the cr-p beat out of him tells me that more than one person thought he was a jerk. He therefore either WAS a jerk and got his come-uppance, or he was an idiot for hanging with the wrong crowd. Not every kid lives a pure life. Adults are supposed to try to guide them out of such pursuits.
The problem is how he relates to the world, and your trying to make the guy who beat him up "pay" is even MORE idiotic. I mean, that course of action is SERIOUSLY nuts, uneducated, and not even worthy of Jerry Springer's show. You need to act like a PARENT not an avenging angel. Find a competent martial arts academy where the teacher will teach the concepts of when to defend yourself and how to have self-control. From your post, it appears that this isn't something you are in a position to teach.
You can certainly hire an attorney, especially if there is real damage to his jaw, but the telling fact that you stated is that your son either doesn't remember much or doesn't want to tell. It could be that he started the altercation and the town punk kicked his butt. I agree that your son may need martial arts training or to learn how to take care of himself. At 17, he needs to do this on his own. Let him make the decision as to the course of action (it appears he already has since he's not talking) and let this be a valuable learning experience.
harry-------I have to disagree with you on most of your post.
I had a similar situation about 20 years ago when a bully from high school was picking on my son cuz we just moved into that school district and the bully was nothing more than a punk.
Similar to this story, my son and a neighbor were leaving a graduation party when the bully approached my son and smashed him in the face breaking his nose for no reason ( witnesses stated)
We contacted the County Attorney to press charges-------I stated " press charges" and did not say " sue" which you seem confused between the definition of the words " press charges" and "sue"
The CA reviewed the case and informed us he was not going to --"press charges"--as the flimsy reason given was-----" this is minor compared to other things the bully had done"
As a father, my satisfaction came from the different paths the 2 went down in their life.
My son-----retired from 20 years in the Navy, married to the same woman for 18 years, a junior in college ,on the Dean's List at a University ,while still working another job
The bully-------married/divorced--------married/divorced---married/divorce---and at age 44 still popular in the court recotds of the local paper ( DUI, DUI, child endangerment, spousal assault, amongst others
No, my son didn't hang around with the " wrong crowd" and 25 years later he wouldn't want to trade places with the bully.
harry-------I have to disagree with you on most of your post.
I had a similar situation about 20 years ago when a bully from high school was picking on my son cuz we just moved into that school district and the bully was nothing more than a punk.
Similar to this story, my son and a neighbor were leaving a graduation party when the bully approached my son and smashed him in the face breaking his nose for no reason ( witnesses stated)
We contacted the County Attorney to press charges-------I stated " press charges" and did not say " sue" which you seem confused between the definition of the words " press charges" and "sue"
The CA reviewed the case and informed us he was not going to --"press charges"--as the flimsy reason given was-----" this is minor compared to other things the bully had done"
As a father, my satisfaction came from the different paths the 2 went down in their life.
My son-----retired from 20 years in the Navy, married to the same woman for 18 years, a junior in college ,on the Dean's List at a University ,while still working another job
The bully-------married/divorced--------married/divorced---married/divorce---and at age 44 still popular in the court recotds of the local paper ( DUI, DUI, child endangerment, spousal assault, amongst others
No, my son didn't hang around with the " wrong crowd" and 25 years later he wouldn't want to trade places with the bully.
Marmac, the two situations are NOT similar. Getting cold-kocked for no reason is totally different from a fight over a girl where the "witnesses" are holding down the injured boy, rather than reporting the incident.
I also have a 17-year-old son, and my advice is to support your son in pressing charges if he wishes to, or to drop it if he wants it dropped.
There's almost undoubtedly more to the story than you know, background information you're unaware of, etc... and as a near-adult, the ultimate decision about how best to handle this rests with him. Your interference could make things worse for him, and could incur his resentment.
Your role is simply to pay his hospital bill (I know, believe me I know, how unfair this feels).
Your kid should wait until his jaw is healed then sneak up behind the punk, wack him over the head with a 2x4 and when he's down beat the crap out of him and break his jaw.
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