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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.

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Copyright, 2014
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October 15, 2009
Judge Tom
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Does tattooing your child deserve prison time?

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It is well-known in Fresno, California that the Bulldogs are a criminal street gang often targeted by the police. Their logo is a dog paw that adorns many members’ bodies.

PawDogWoofieGrrl

WoofieGrrl (Flickr)

Over spring break in 2009, 26-year-old Enrique Gonzalez had visitation with his 7-year-old son. Reportedly, while Gonzalez held his son down, fellow gang member Travis Gorman tattooed a quarter-size paw onto the boy’s hip. Gonzalez explained that the boy pleaded for it so he could be like his dad.

When the boy’s mother discovered the tattoo, she called the police. At first, both men were charged with mayhem which requires malicious disfigurement of another.  It carries the possibility of life in prison if convicted. At a court hearing in October, 2009, the judge dropped the charge to cruel and inhumane treatment of a juvenile with a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. It is illegal in California, as in many states, to tattoo anyone under 18. The child has begun laser removal of the tattoo.

Is tattooing any different than piercing the ears of a newborn or performing a circumcision on a baby boy? All involve a degree of pain, right? Even if the boy did beg for a tattoo to be like his dad, are children capable of consenting to such a procedure?

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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.

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