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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.

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
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August 27, 2010
Judge Tom
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1

Parents impose community service on daughter

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Why wait for a court hearing and a judge to hand out a sentence for breaking a law?  In Southlake, Texas, the parents of 16-year-old Kirstin Rausch decided to nip her curfew violation in the bud.

Robert Rausch placed an ad in the local paper offering his daughter’s babysitting services for free. For breaking her curfew, Kirstin’s parents gave her 30 hours of community service to complete. Her father said he wanted to discipline her and help others out at the same time.

Kirstin Rausch

The ad read: “Want a FREE BABYSITTER for a night out? I’m in big trouble for missing my curfew and my parents are making me provide 30 hours of free babysitting as punishment. My pain is your gain, so call.” 

She knew 11:00 p.m. was her bedtime and the deadline for having friends over. About six friends came over and her parents awoke around 2:30 a.m. to the noise. Kirstin commented that she won’t violate her curfew again or throw anymore late-night parties. “I learned that if you break curfew you’re going to get in trouble. And everything — every mistake has a consequence.”

In a similar case of tough love, read here about a “mean mom” dealing with her son’s driving with alcohol in the car.

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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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