Is it a Defense to Battery that the Victim Intruded on Your Personal Space

[BATTLESTAR]

What is the difference between a court hearing and a hearing with the DA and City attorney people? They all sound very serious but a court hearing sounds less serious

[cdwjava]

What is the difference between a court hearing and a hearing with the DA and City attorney people? They all sound very serious but a court hearing sounds less serious

The meeting with the prosecutors are generally designed to try and mediate the matter. A court hear NG would he the arraignment or a trial.

Ask your son what happened - he was there, we were not.

[BATTLESTAR]

Our son is being very scatter brained about it. I am sorry if I annoyed you! I was hoping that we could confront him all the wiser. Happy Thanksgiving

[cdwjava]

Sorry, I was not annoyed, but there is really very little we can offer you aside from suggesting your son consult an attorney. We were not present at the hearing and have no real idea what was said in that meeting. He does. And if he is not being forthcoming about it, or was confused, then there's nothing much we can do.

[BATTLESTAR]

So you think maybe he was not forth coming or acting confused during this meeting? Would that be a reason they wanted my son to go to court? Because if we find out that he was confused or not forth coming, we will be helping him get unconfused.

[cdwjava]

So you think maybe he was not forth coming or acting confused during this meeting?

I have no way to know and cannot venture a guess. I am not even entirely certain what kind of meeting it was - only your son can say for sure. If he'd like to log in, we can ask him.

Would that be a reason they wanted my son to go to court? Because if we find out that he was confused or not forth coming, we will be helping him get unconfused.

He is going to court because the prosecutor - be it City Attorney or District Attorney - has opted to file charges in court. This could be as a result of the police report, statements of the parties, a lack of remorse by the suspect (your son), the insistence of the alleged victim, or because of a policy that states they will file on all such allegations. The state (prosecutor) may offer a plea deal before any court proceedings ... or, they may not.

You are guessing and we are guessing. Talk to your son. Help him locate an attorney or apply for a public defender if he is eligible for one. At this point in time the less he says about what happened, the better. There is no parent-child confidentiality and while it is unlikely, it is possible for a prosecutor to call a parent to testify against a child in a criminal case.

[BATTLESTAR]

I'm sorry about all of my questions. We are trying to be as knowledgeable as we can, so that when we confront him, he wont be able to pull any fast ones. So lets say that he met with the City Attorney, District Attorney or was at some hearing. What are the things he could or might have done at those hearings that made his situation worse?

[cdwjava]

There is no way to answer that. I can guess all over the place and they would be nothing more than pulling possible ideas out of my rectum.

Talk with your son. He can choose to tell you what happened in the meeting ... or, not. He may tell you the truth, he may lie to you, but there is no way I or anyone else can guess as to what happened in a meeting we do not know about and were not present at.

[BATTLESTAR]

LOL Loved the rectom comment!!! Please don't trouble yourself with pulling anything from your body!! LOL Good one!! Ok, we will have to ask him ourselves, but I will be purchasing a Criminal law for dummies book before I talk to my son. That way, he will shrink in the shadow of my daunting knowledge!! LOL

[BATTLESTAR]

Ok so we talked to our son. He swears that all he did was tell the truth. Why then did they decide to go to court? I thought that they were there to "mediate". Maybe our son should have lied & gave them the feeling that he was going to fight it??? If our son wants to apply for a public defender, how does one do that & what are the usual eligible requirements?