Judges in Tennessee now have the authority to hold parents responsible for their children’s criminal actions. This new measure puts the burden of accountability on parents and gives judges the power to determine if they should be held liable.
Tennessee has recently passed the Parental Accountability Act, which focuses on preventing children from engaging in criminal activities that can lead to a life of crime. This law aims to promote responsible parenting by holding parents accountable for their children’s actions and ensuring that they take necessary steps to prevent their kids from getting involved in criminal activities.
As a parent, you could potentially face a fine of up to $1,000 due to your child’s criminal activity.
“It starts somewhere,” said State Representative John Gillespie, who helped make this a law. “Every crime starts somewhere, very rarely does someone just murder someone.”
The implementation of the new law entails a judge’s discretion in imposing fines on parents. For a child’s second offense, the amount of fine can reach up to $1,000.
Parents can also opt for community service as an alternative under the law.
Juvenile Judge Sheila Calloway was asked whether she believed that the new law would deter juveniles from committing offenses, including violent crime, since ultimately it’s up to a judge to decide.
“I do think that the Parental Accountability Act can have some effect on some of the parents and the youth,” she said.
In the fight against juvenile crime, she firmly believes in the power of rehabilitation. She recently shared with FOX 17 News that there are alternative methods to put a stop to juvenile delinquency in case the parents are unable to bear the cost.
“Any child that is placed on probation can participate on that program,” she said.
Representative John Gillespie was asked by FOX 17 News about his opinion on whether parents should be held responsible for their children’s actions.
“You should think about that before having children,” he responded. “Having a child is their responsibility.”
In the upcoming legislative session, his goal is to make it mandatory for judges to comply with this law, rather than leaving it up to their discretion.