Court: Kentucky Students Are Human Beings With Rights

Let's hope this is the first in a series of decisions that will put an end to the egregiously unconstitutional practice of slamming (primarily minority and disabled) kids into jail for the terroristic practices of talking back to teachers and throwing spitballs.

Andrew Wolfson at the Courier:

Kentucky students must be given Miranda warnings — that they have right to remain silent and to have a lawyer — if they are interviewed by principals with a school officer present, a divided state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

In a 4-3 opinion that dissenting justices warned could endanger school safety, the court held that a statement from a Nelson County student who admitted giving two pills to another student must be suppressed because he was not read his rights first.

SNIP

The case began in 2009 when a Nelson County High School teacher found an empty prescription pain pill bottle on a restroom floor with a student's name on it.

School officer Stephen Campbell, an armed deputy sheriff, and Nelson County assistant principal Mike Glass escorted the student to Glass’ office, where he was questioned with the door closed.

The student, identified only as N.C., admitted that he did “something stupid” — brought three pills from home because he'd had his wisdom teeth pulled and was in pain, and that he'd given two to another student.

Three pain pills? An armed deputy sheriff in the school? The fascistic treatment of a student who poses no threat at all is only the beginning of the problems at this school and all Kentucky schools.

• That alleviating pain is a crime in Kentucky is turning thousands of law-abiding but suffering citizens into felons whose lives are destroyed because they sought pain relief..
• I hope the parents of the first child killed by an armed deputy sheriff in the school - and I'm amazed NC wasn't the first - sues the school system, the principal, the school board members and the guntard state legislators for every dime they have and ever will have.
• Speaking of lawsuits, NC's got a bunch of great ones. Sue every single one of the motherfuckers involved, kid, and don't forget to have your phony conviction overturned and your record scrubbed clean.