In July 2008, my girlfriend (then 17) made the mistake of joining some co-workers who were drinking some wine and sharing a joint, in the parking lot, after work. She became intoxicated and was subsequently questioned by the local police. Although it was not hers and she did not have anything on her, she was charged with possession, a minor misdemeanor.
Believing she was making the correct choice, her mother waived her daughters right for a lawyer and took the courts seemingly generous offer to have her placed in the Knox County Juvenile Drug Court program, which was billed as an alternative to incarceration. In doing so, it appears that she signed away all of her rights. For the past 12+ months she has been subjected to random drug tests 2-5 days a week (she has passed them all), has served 150 hours community service, attends weekly drug counseling, visits to her probation officer weekly, and attends assorted drug court activities a couple times a week. Once a week, she goes before the magistrate, where probation tells him how she has done over the past week. If she missed any of her daily appointments for any reason at all, or didn't seem to have a positive attitude during one of them, the magistrate hands out punishment.
As punishment, she has twice had to serve 8 hour stints in "podville". In podville, you just sit in the corner and stare at a brick wall in silence. Early on, her mother thought she was doing the right thing by informing her probation officer that she found an empty beer bottle under her bed. There was no telling how long it had been there or even how it got there, but the magistrate sent her to juvenile detention for 10 days because of it.
In March of this year, a probation officer randomly decided to go through her cell phone text messages and found messages to and from me. Perfectly clean and innocent love notes, nothing more, but because I am significantly older than her, the probation officer decided it was an "unhealthy relationship". Her phone was confiscated and the magistrate issued a "no contact order" that was to remain in affect "until further notice". This order was issued based solely on age difference and nothing more. I've been nothing but a positive influence for her. I have no record. I do not do drugs and I encourage her to stay away from them. Her mother knows me, likes me, and she does not object to her seeing me.
She turned 18 a few months ago and in the last month she felt it was safe enough to contact me. Her probation officer found out and yesterday the magistrate sent her to Knox county's adult detention center for another 30 days for breaking this order.
For dranking a little wine and taking part in the sharing of a joint, a minor misdemeanor that would have resulted in no more than a monetary fine for an adult, she has, so far, received 40 days in jail, has served 150 hours of community service, been forced to stare at a wall for 16 hours, has had to stay away from people who love and care for her, and has spent over a year in the Drug Court program, and there is still no end in sight.
When does this become cruel and unusual punishment?
Does she have any rights or did they really get signed away?
Considering the no contact order is based solely on the age difference between 2 people, who are now both adults, and all parties involved (other than Drug Court) want it to be dropped, couldn't it and shouldn't it be?
Is there anything we can do to stop this complete waste of taxpayer money? Anything we can do to stop this madness?

