Mother Furious Over Lenient Juvenile Punishments for Teen Gun Charge

Christine Taylor from Rockville is furious after her 15-year-old son received a crossword puzzle and five hours of chores following his first criminal offense. She says this lenient punishment was handed down by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services every time he reoffended. Her child began stealing cars at age 12, yet recent charges include auto theft and a gun count according to Fox 5 DC reports. He was also one of two teenagers stabbed outside a Harris Teeter grocery store in March last year.

The teen was ordered into juvenile detention until his court date next month for these fresh allegations, though Taylor claims he usually enters a catch and release cycle instead. She fights daily to secure the help her child needs so he does not end up arrested again. If you do nothing but release them after minor infractions, no lesson is being learned as she told the outlet regarding his past punishments. His very first car theft at twelve resulted in a puzzle assignment rather than meaningful consequences which makes Taylor question what type of punishment that actually is.

Taylor admits it triggers her when people ask why she was not more on top of her child's behavior over the years. She has sought assistance to guide him toward better choices but insists the system refuses to work with families like hers. None of these children are suffering from any consequences for their actions or behaviors while parents get blamed at the end instead, she explained during the interview. I get attacked left and right as a mom because I told you about that year-long CPS case which did not provide me help with him.

She referenced a tragic local car crash recently that killed a Virginia father after a 13-year-old stole a vehicle carrying six underage passengers. What if my son did that she asked while imagining the horror of her child crashing into someone and killing them. Like imagine how I would feel when I have been begging for help because I would not feel good as a mom in that scenario. But it is the system that fails these kids really unfortunately according to Taylor.

This situation arrives just as Maryland prepares for the Youth Charging Reform Act to take effect in October next year. Under this new law certain youngsters charged with violent crimes will be kept out of adult court and sent into the juvenile system Taylor has complained about repeatedly. The Daily Mail approached the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services for comment on these ongoing issues within their jurisdiction today.