Parents Liable For Their Children?

In Chicago a lawmaker wants parents of "out of control" children to be fined up to $5,000 and take mandatory "family counseling," the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Alderman Raymond Lopez introduced an ordinance during Monday's City Council meeting that would require parents and legal guardians to pay for their children's crimes.

The ordinance would make it illegal for a parent to "willfully and/or knowingly allow a minor in their charge to engage in a host of offenses wreaking havoc on the quality of life in Chicago neighborhoods. Those offenses range from panhandling, underage and public drinking and cannabis use, violating curfew and 'climbing on' cars to street takeovers and drag racing."

It would also ban juveniles from being loaned or supplied paintball guns. Additionally, it would be prohibited for minors to beg, solicit, or use social media to "abet or encourage" illegal activity.

Parents would be required to undergo "licensed family counseling" and pay a $1,000 to $5,000 fine, depending on the severity of the child's crimes.

Lopez's ordinance states that parents "shall be held as responsible and accountable for the activity of said minor as if they committed the acts themselves."

"The goal isn't just to fine parents," he stated. "It's to change behavior and to help parents so that they raise better children."

"Common sense requires us to start standing up and pushing back on the criminality in our neighborhoods, to start holding people and parents accountable, because oftentimes these are 12-, 13-, 14-year-olds who are engaging in this behavior, such as the armed carjacking that is so rampant in the city of Chicago," Lopez stated.

Conclusion

The inferred responsibility upon a person of another person's behavior is always a dangerous topic and path.  Of course in this situation those people are guardians and parents of minors.  Should parents be penalized for their children's behavior?  If so, is it a financial penalty or counseling?  Should the parents lose their children?

The question then of course where does it stop?  Are parents responsible if their child is tardy from school - truancy laws?  Are parents responsible if their children commit misdemeanors - like shoplifting?  How about major felonies - like the Crumbleys in Michigan? 

Everyone needs accountability, however misplaced and overaggressive prosecution leads to a slippery slope of liability.  This is also true from the lack of prosecution and the apparent acceptance or ignorance of bad behavior.  In the World of the Law, swinging the pendulum all the way in either direction creates concerns of liability and guilt under the law versus political ambition.

May God Bless You, Your Business, Israel, and the United States of America, 

Tom Winslow