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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    10

    Lightbulb Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    My issue is about my 14 year old, 4th time in 8 months, runaway daughter, from Columbus, Ohio. She has been gone for one month. There have been 4 calls from her or about her since she has been gone. I was told by my local poice dept. that a judge would have to sign a subpoena in order to get any identifying information on where those calls were made from. After insisting for a better answer, I was informed that I could do what is called a Trap Trace or *57 proceedure with my phone company. 5 - 10 minutes before the last time l heard from my distressed sounding daughter, a man called me to tell me that my daughter was just at his house in Utah!!! a couple of days ago and that she had left with 2 males that he did not know and thats why he was really calling me. I asked him more questions and eventually he hung up on me. Then my daughter called 3 minutes after his call and I was able to do a *57 trap trace on her call. My daughter sounded distressed and the call ended abruptly after 1 - 2 minutes. I was frantic! After cutting through ALL of the red tape for doing this trap trace procedure, I found out the next day that my daughter had called from a cell phone, which might not even have a registered location. So now, the next step, as I was told, is to see if a judge WILL sign a subpoena to see if the phone is a registered phone and to whom, or to see the location of the tower that the cell phone "pinged" from if it's not registered. I have been informed PLENTY of times now that a judge will NEVER sign a subpoena for an endangered runaway, who calls home often enough and is suspected to be alive and well. If only every parent of a runaway could be this lucky, huh? But what I am asking for is that all 4 of the incoming calls from or about Jazmine be traced. It only takes a few minutes to gather the information and send it to the police by way of fax. This doesn't seem to unreasonable a thing to ask for, to help aid in the search to find my "endangered runaway daughter". At least I would have a perimeter to start looking at to TRY to find her. And nothing is more important to me. I have the money, time and family resources to try to find my daughter right now, today, but the law is prohibiting this information from being released. If the resources are there and can be used properly and not hurt anyone, why cant this be an option? I understand about not giving the parent the information directly. I have no issues with it being giving to the police and letting them tell me what city and state to start looking in first. I don't even know if she is still in ohio, and the information is there! In my humble opinion, if we have a resource we should use it to help find this child, before it is too late. Especially if finding her is more at my own expense than the states.

    Can someone PLEASE guide me in the right direction about the Ohio laws governing this type of situation? Any advice or a direct link to the right government site would be soooo appreciated. I have found a few links, but the subject I am seeking is burried under loads of other juvenile law stuff. I refuse to file unruly charges yet, as everyone recommends. If my daughter isn't lucky enough to make it back home OR if I am ever graced to see her beautiful face again, I VOW TO HELP TRY TO CHANGE THIS LAW! All I need is pointed in the right direction, and quickly please!


    Thank you so much in advance.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    2,006

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    As a parent of 3 teenage girls my heart goes out to you.
    Can I ask why you refuse to file unruly charges on her? you may get more cooperation from law enforcement. Is she listed offically as missing?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    10

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    Thank you for your understanding and compassion toward my situation. It means a lot!

    Filing unruly charges won't bring me any better results from law enforcement than what I receive now from law enforcement. They usually do what they can do under the law to help. And it usually goes beyond what they are required to do, usually. Their hands are tied just like mine are, for the most part. I need to find the links and read the actual laws that pertain to this issue. Then I can start to figure out where I can begin to address the much needed updates in these laws and hopefully change things for my own child in time and everyone else's along the way.

    My daughter is officially listed as a missing juvenile, endangered runaway. She is listed on the Ohio Attorney General's website, "Ohio Missing Children's Clearinghouse" and also on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's website, "MissingKids.com".

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    2,006

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    Here is a link to the database for the laws in Ohio. There is a search button at the top right. Good luck and keep me in mind when you try to change these laws. I'm not an attorney and don't have any experience with this. I'm sorry! I'll do what I can and am a fellow Ohioian.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    10

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    Had to get my other two kids, Jazmine's brothers, in bed for the night. I will keep you and your family in mind fellow Ohioian, fellow American and fellow sister in motherhood fighting the good fight just like me with 3 kids. Love them, give them chores, read to them, laugh with them, encourage them, sign them up for things that YOU HAVE TIME to attend to, discipline them, respect them, hug them, eat dinner with them, compliment them, and MY #1 advice to myself tonight is... find them if they go astray and bring them back to try again.

    Ps- I didn't see the link but is it the Lawriter Ohio Laws and Rules website? codes.ohio.gov?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    10

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    Ok, it is 11:30am now, almost 48 hours after I last heard my precious daughter's sweet voice and 4 Thursdays exactly ago today that she still was here at home. Back to my issue..... I believe that phone regulations are federal. So, I will do some research on that and report back. That's good, because I believe it could apply to ALL cases like Jazmines! I'm new, but not discouraged. Like I previously stated, I have the money, time and family resources to do this, however I have to do this! I just hope it's in time. Location is crucial right now! Would an attorney even discuss this case? Should I start calling, and go that route while I am SUPPOSEDELY WAITING for this mysterious subpoena to be denied and not signed?

    ANY help is GREATLY appreciated.


    ~ Thank you for reading ~

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    2,006

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    Have you thought about hiring a private investigator to help find her?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    578

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    Quote Quoting gigirle
    View Post
    Have you thought about hiring a private investigator to help find her?
    Ditto. There are people who specialize not only in finding, but returning people. You might have to have her ruled unruly or get some other court order in order to give a PI the legal right to physically return her, but it definitely can be done. Of course, without the underlying problem solved, thee is ultimately little hope of her choosing to remain with you.

    As a father of four, including two teenage daughters, my heart goes out to you. We've had our share of rebellion, but nothing like this. Very sad. I hope she is safe.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    10

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    I am just thrilled to report that my daughter is home safe, not so sound, but SAFE. I wanted to come back to this forum and let people know again about the "Trap Trace" method that was used to locate my daughter today. Call your local phone company and ask how to do a "Trap Trace" procedure. In the event that a runaway calls home, you can do this procedure IMMEDIATELY after the call is finished. This method is NOT NORMALLY used for runaways, but it IS something you can use to capture the number the runaway calls from. Then, you must call the phone company and tell them you had a threatening phone call and that you did a "Trap Trace". If you do not tell them it was a threatening or harassing call, they will NOT fax the number to the police dept. They will ask you what police station you want it faxed to. They have fax numbers for the police station you need it faxed to already. You will not be able to give them a fax number. They already have the numbers they use. That is just the way it is done in these cases. Then, make sure you call the detective on your case and let them know the phone company is faxing the information to the station. STAY ON TOP OF THIS. My detective was on vacation when I called to tell her about the trace. I was transferred to a few voicemails before I got someone who would take the time to listen and help. UNFORTUNATELY, the call came from a "Boost Mobile" phone that had no contract, so no owner information. I was disappointed but determined, because I knew that my daughter was alive and out there somewhere that COULD be traced. Since there was no identifying information for the phone itself, a judge signed a subpoena (which I was told would NEVER happen for a runaway who is willingly calling home) to "Ping" the phone to find out where it currently was, for 48 hours. The phone was either off or no minutes. You can't "Ping" a phone that isn't turned on. We only had 48 hours and 24 hours had already past. I HAD TO SUGGEST that we find out where the location of the phone WAS when my daughter had called me. This required another subpoena (on a Sunday afternoon!) for the phone company to find out where that phone had "Pinged" from that day. The subpoena was signed, sealed and delivered (on a Sunday afternoon!) within an hour. With the 2 subpoenas in play, we were able to get an idea of the area where she made the call from. We were then able to "Ping" the phone once it was turned back on today. The detective then went to the address the "Ping" came from. She did not have an exact address, but was able to find the apartment complex and ask the residents if they had seen my daughter. Everyone said yes, just yesterday! Word got back to my daughter and she turned herself in this afternoon! THANK GOD!!!!! I will not forget how lucky I am that she turned herself in and didn’t run again from there.

    I encourage you to DO THIS PROCEDURE if your runaway calls home!!! It can’t hurt and maybe it could possibly help, like in our situation.


    PS- To answer the question about me filing unruly charges on my daughter, I refuse to do this as it would have probably ended up with me loosing my parental rights. I AM NOT WILLING to loose my rights as her legal guardian. No question about it! She is worth it!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    578

    Default Re: Changing Ohio Runaway Laws

    Glad to hear she is home safe. Thanks for stopping back in to give us the outcome/update. Most people never do. Good work by the way.

    I hope she figures out that there will be plenty of time to explore the world later when she's an adult. Good luck to you Mom.

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