CHILDREN AT RISK’s Law Advisory and Public Policy Advisory Board subcommittees are keeping busy during the legislative interim. One particular issue that has been in the spotlight this month is the issuance of Class C misdemeanor tickets by school police officers for student misbehavior in the classroom. Once a citation is issued to the student, the student is required to appear in court with a parent or guardian to resolve the charges against the student by paying a fine of up to $500 or agreeing to community service or a similar arrangement.
There are several problems associated with Class C ticketing. In addition to missing days from school to appear in court, parents must also miss a day of work to accompany their child. If a student fails to appear in court or pay their fine, a warrant for their arrest may be issued on the student’s 17th birthday. In addition, use of Class C ticketing as a disciplinary tool has proven to be ineffective for many students. Over 300,000 Class C misdemeanor citations were issued in the State of Texas in 2011 alone, and many of the tickets issued were to students who had been ticketed before.
CHILDREN AT RISK learned that unlike juvenile records which are kept from public view, information about students who receive Class C tickets is made public on the County’s website. Beginning on March 1st, the Chronicle ran a series of articles highlighting this issue. CHILDREN AT RISK, along with Texas Appleseed, Judge Michael Schneider of Harris County’s 315th state district court, and Representative Sylvester Turner, provided comment in these articles to emphasize the need for enhanced sensitivity to juvenile information.
To ensure that issues surrounding Class C misdemeanor ticketing are addressed legislatively or through legal action, Class C misdemeanor ticketing is being addressed in CHILDREN AT RISK’s Impact Litigation, Education, and Juvenile Justice Committees. Through observations of Class C ticketing court dockets, interviews with students, parents, and teachers, and a continued collaboration with key organizations working on this issue throughout the state, CHILDREN AT RISK will work hard to raise awareness and find solutions to student ticketing.