12-Year-Old Forced to Put Up Wii For Bail

A 12-year-old juvenile offender in Winnipeg, Manitoba has been slapped with unusual bail conditions which a judge hopes will help keep him in line: He had to put up his Nintendo Wii as security.

The Winnipeg youth had his first run-in with the law in February, when he used a sock filled with rocks to smash windows at his elementary school. Soon after that, he chased down a classmate and punched him in the face several times; he was released on an order not to attend that school but has breached the order at least three times. In August he clobbered another boy over the head with a pool cue and then finally, in mid-October, he was busted for attacking a male student and female teacher at his new school after a game of dodge ball.

Tired of the boy's repeat appearances in court, the judge in this most recent case decided to get his attention by requiring him to put up his most prized possession for bail: A Nintendo Wii. The boy must keep the peace, appear for all his scheduled court dates and attend a "bail management program," and if he fails to meet any of those requirements, he loses the console. "He is pledging as a security, akin to a cash deposit, his Nintendo Wii," Judge Marvin Garfinkle said. "And if he doesn't comply, he loses it."

The Crown Attorney in the case, Susan Baragar, doesn't seem to have much confidence that the unique bail bond will help keep the boy in line. Despite being only 12 years old, she said, "it is our submission he is clearly out of control and will not obey any rules your honor may lay down for him."

The boy's lawyer, on the other hand, acknowledged that "it doesn't look good" but added, "He's a 12-year-old who is generally quite scared."

Source: Winnipeg Sun, via GamePolitics

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Serves the twat right.

People really need to give kids harsher punishments - it didn't help when smacking was banned.

Either that kid has some pretty messed up inner demons, or in a perfect world his parents wouldn't possess a license to procreate. Either way, that is one nasty bully.

Interesting.
Let's see if it works.

Why the fuck isn't this kid locked up somewhere? If this is what he's like at 12 imagine what he'll probably be like as he gets older.

when did the justice system become like parents?

Winnipeg... murder capital of Canada. We regained the title last night oddly enough.

How about he gets flagellated? No one would commit a crime if punishment was flagellation.

That's... Actually kind of interesting. I mean, this kind of kid would really care about any sums of money his parents might be made to pay, but something he actually cares about? Not a bad idea. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out.

At least the judge is trying, to know that he has a Wii means someone has taken a look inside his home life, at the very least the physical space. Really does sound like a kid who needs some direction in life to direct his angst towards something more constructive and an environment in which he feels accepted but I am just speculating based on my limited knowledge of his situation, lets just say I can relate to being a angsty 12 year old with anger problems and have survived those mis-adventures.

How about giving the kid a slap round the head? that would be better.

This kid needs help.
Whether it's upbringing, or some kind of chemical (Or psychological) imbalance, this kid really needs serious help.
I'm not sure whether or not the removing of the Wii will work, but I do agree that it's a far more tangible punishment for the kid then having his parents pay some fine. He never sees that money anyways, right?

So the 'kid' has assaulted three people (quite violently), ignored numerous court rulings, and yet they let him out on bail?

Perhaps a man called Bubba can show him all how swining the "Wiimote" around, when he's in real jail for more serious crimes.

cobrausn:
So the 'kid' has assaulted three people (quite violently), ignored numerous court rulings, and yet they let him out on bail?

The law has got to move with the times, "children" get off too lightly with pretty serious behavioral problems.

The kid needs some serious help, or better parents, who knows? But I quiet like this idea, I can actually see it working, in the short term.

What a little wanker.

Although he probably only had a few months left before he grew out of his wii anyway.

this is brilliant probably no better way to make him co-operate.

if not The Chair is always available. i wonder how this kid's parents are.

that's a pretty interesting type of bail. it's going to be funny if the kid doesn't follow it and loses the console, tho i'm sure his parents will just get him another one. this is part of the reason why i support punishing the parents too

maybe if they raised their kid better he wouldn't do this

What kind of kid like that has a Wii? He'll be bullied now for owning one. LOL, ironic punishment.

If i was that judge i would have sentenced him to juvey by now. That kid is out of control and deserves nothing at all.

SirBryghtside:
Serves the twat right.

People really need to give kids harsher punishments - it didn't help when smacking was banned.

Yes, because beating your kid is always the right way to teach your child a lesson (sarcasm).

I don't oppose spanking though.

cobrausn:
So the 'kid' has assaulted three people (quite violently), ignored numerous court rulings, and yet they let him out on bail?

Yes, what the hell! We should lynch him, fry the corpse and feed it to dogs!
/sarcasm for those with a malfunctioning sarcasm detector

He. Is. 12. Year. OLD.

This is just going to turn into yet another retarded capital punishment or age or whatever flamewar...

So... no comment.

Smack him with the wiimote.

KnowYourOnion:
Why the fuck isn't this kid locked up somewhere? If this is what he's like at 12 imagine what he'll probably be like as he gets older.

This post is disgusting. Its a kid, there is still plenty of time left in his life to turn it around, the information we have says he hasn't inflicted any permanent damage. Seriously, you want to lock up a kid for how you predict his future decisions will pan out? You've just determined that he will become a professional criminal, mentally/physically abused, or dead if you send him to an institution. The only time I could see sending a child to prison would be if they had committed proven beyond a doubt premeditated murder where the damages can't be repaired in some fashion to both the convicted and the victims. Also, try to remember, children sent to jail who survive the ordeal often complete their sentences and are released back into society having grown up knowing only that kind of out look on life for half or more of their life - do you really want a 30-40 year old who grew up as a caged predator? Not the kind of society I want to live in, I would rather try to give the kid some hope for some joy in their own life before they end up down that road.

Say no to Prison World.

wonder how long it will be before people start blaming the Wii for his behavior

He sounds like a little shit, the kind i hate and that you can tell will grow up later in life only to not have significance in any thing, just a failure. Take all his shit! MWHAHAHAHAAA!

PayJ567:
when did the justice system become like parents?

Seconded. The justice department's job is to keep criminals off the streets, not to try to teach them morals. Plus if this kid is 12, he is always going to be like this.

There must be something wrong with him if he values his wii.

I mean seriously...

If only the justice system could assign daily ass-kickings for this little **** that would straighten him out or at least put him out of commission for a while.

"He's a 12-year-old who is generally quite scared." Bullshit. I worked in loss prevention for over 3 years and arrested hundreds of kids that age, and let me tell you if there's one thing this kid ISN'T, its scared. These little bastards know how to work the system, and thanks to the Young Offen- I mean the "Youth Criminal Justice Act" which has absolutley no teeth at all whatsoever and basically is a 'get out of jail free' card for young offenders, he won't do any jail time or receive any kind of punishment other than his Wii being used as bail.

He doesn't give a shit about the Wii no matter what the Judge thinks.

I mean good on the Judge for at least trying to think of a bail option suitable for a 12 year old, but this is no ordinary 12 year old. With sociopathic and violent behaviour so prevalent at such an early age, this kid needs some serious round the clock counselling and constant monitoring, and hopefully that's what he'll get and not just fall through the cracks like so many of the kids I busted did. The justice system in Canada is severely flawed, especially when it comes to juveniles.

When the "Young Offenders Act" became the "Youth Criminal Justice Act" those of us working in crime prevention were pretty much left to our own devices as to how to interpret it, with no help from the lawmakers other than a 3 page description of the changes to the act. (Of which there were few) When my agency approached the police for help, they were just as in the dark as we were. How much confidence in the law does that inspire?

Young offenders seem to think that as soon as they turn 18 everything gets wiped away all nice and shiny clean... It DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. Yes your file gets sealed, but it never goes away. (At least not in Canada) All that means is that anything you did before you were 18 can not be held against you if you are charged with the same offense after you turn 18. It will still screw up your chances of ever travelling outside Canada, as other countries don't neccessarily have the same views on juvenile criminals as us. Also, trying to get a job where you need to be bondable, forget it. Getting a passport or a visa to travel outside the country? Good luck.

I agree we have to take age into consideration, but the age of liability concerning crimes in Canada is, I believe, 12. Sure we're not going to lock him up in Kingston Maximum Security Penitentiary, but we do have juvenile holding cells for a reason. We can't let this child run around committing these kind of acts and just saying "Oh Billy is just a 12 year old, cut him some slack" until he really hurts someone to the extent of causing grievous bodily harm.

Now back on topic, I have to say if I was a twelve year old acting up, getting my nintendo 64 taken away would more anger me and encourage me to commit more of these heinous acts than make me say "Golly gee! If I want back my video games I better become a good cookie and stop all this violence"... Then again I'm not sure if there is anything that would make me say Golly gee or good cookie

EDIT: Quote failed...

The judge disciplined him in a way that his parents should have done a long time ago. The kid and his parents have serious problems if it's come this far.

That kid needs a good old Dr.Punch to the face

Really =/ The kids a total douche

VicunaBlue:

PayJ567:
when did the justice system become like parents?

Seconded. The justice department's job is to keep criminals off the streets, not to try to teach them morals.

Wait what? I though the whole purpose of sending them to prison was to make them regret there actions and that crime doesn't pay. Doesn't that count as teaching them morals?