Logo
  • Home
  • Ask
  • Teen Help Network
  • About
    • About Judge Tom
    • Books
    • FAQs
    • Press Room
  • Your Rights
    • Crime and Punishment
    • Student Rights at School
    • You and Your Body
    • You and the Internet
    • Juvenile Justice System
    • LGBT Youth Rights
    • More Categories
  • Blog
  • Get Help
    • Videos
    • A Teenager’s Guide to Juvenile Court
    • Books
    • Research & Resources
  • Newsletter Signup

 

Q&A

Know your rights! Youth justice and juvenile law answers.

Askthejudge.info features regular updates from the news, important decisions from the nation′s courts, and online discussions with Judge Tom. Find out everything you need to know about youth rights, juvenile law and juvenile justice. AsktheJudge – Empowering youth one question at a time.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this site is made available to the general public and is not intended to serve as legal advice.You should consult a trained legal professional in your area for questions you may have about the laws affecting juveniles or any legal interpretations.

Copyright, 2014
Logo
September 6, 2007
Judge Tom
You and Other Important Rights
0

Can I go across the border with my friends?

PreviousNext

 

You may be allowed to cross national borders without your parents. During the summer, winter vacation, or spring break, many students take school trips across the border to Mexico or Canada without their parents along.

Whether you′re on a school trip or visiting a border town for a day, you′ll need a passport or another accepted secure document to verify that you′re an American citizen. Starting on June 1, 2009, you must provide proof of citizenship and identity to enter the United States. The easiest way to comply is to have a valid passport and a copy of your birth certificate or a passport card and a driver’s license. Border officials will also accept tribal and military identification cards.

Canadian border Peace Arch

For information on passport requirements, visit www.dhs.gov. and for details on acceptable identification documents see www.cbp.gov and follow the “travel” links.

 If you′re under eighteen, take along a written statement from your parents, authorizing emergency medical care. This is called a power of attorney, and it may save you from additional pain and aggravation. It might possibly save your life.

mexicanborder

Photo by Zemistor (Flickr)

When traveling abroad, remember that the laws of the United States no longer apply. Make sure you know what′s allowed and what isn′t before you go. The penalties for violating foreign laws may be far more severe than you′d expect in the United States. For example, in 1994, an American student traveling in Singapore was caught spray-painting cars. Authorities in Singapore punished him by caning his rear end. Before your trip, make sure you know the curfew hours, legal drinking age, and traffic laws (including insurance requirements) of the nation you′re visiting. Also be aware of whom you should contact and procedures you should follow in case of an emergency.

An overzealous judge:  In June, 2009, a judge in Malaysia sentenced a convicted robber to 10 lashings with a rattan cane. This judge went a step further and insisted carrying out the sentence himself. A higher court overruled him and changed the penalty to 200 hours of community service – no whipping.

juvenile lawsjuvenile rights
Share this
Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

Find great resources in our

Teen Help Network


Leave A Comment Cancel reply