Posted on 06/23/2018 12:17:01 PM PDT by Simon Green
A 13-year-old hauled into the principal's office for not serving his detention may end up with the biggest detention of all: a felony conviction. That's because the kid recorded the conversation on his phone.
The incident took place last February at Manteno Middle School, which is about an hour outside of Chicago. Young Paul Boron was arguing with Principal David Conrad and Assistant Principal Nathan Short.
About ten minutes into the meeting, which was held with the door open, Boron told the men he was recording it. At that point, the principal told Boron he was committing a felony and ended the conversation. But then, according to the Illinois Policy Center:
Two months later, in April, Boron was charged with one count of eavesdropping – a class 4 felony in Illinois.
"If I do go to court and get wrongfully convicted, my whole life is ruined," said Boron, who lives with his mother and four siblings..."I think they're going too far."
.... Members of the Manteno Community Unit School District No. 5 board, Conrad and Short have not responded to requests for comment on the incident.
Unfortunately for Boron, there is a law against recording people without their consent in Illinois. There's even a rule against it in the student handbook. But the handbook also says that it is fine for the school to have video cameras monitoring the public areas of the building. In other words, it's fine to keep the kids under constant surveillance, just not the administrators.
Illinois law is tough on citizens who "eavesdrop." For example, the Policy Center reports, "Michael Allison was charged with a felony for recording his own court hearing after the court did not provide a court reporter"—a case crazy enough to bring Orwell storming back from the grave.
At one point, the state's law saying all parties who are being recorded must consent was struck down. But a new eavesdropping law popped right back up with a carve-out for citizens recording police encounters.
All of which means Boron's middle school misbehavior could end up on his permanent record. Sometimes the law is neglectful of liberty, and no friend to tech savy 13-year-olds. It would be a terrible tragedy if Boron was forced into the criminal justice system for such a silly infraction.
Just more evidence of Illinois continual vying for the top spot in the cavalcade of $hit Hole States! Honorable mention goes to New Jersey and Maryland. Even the crap we have here in California today doesn’t equal these human toilets.
Well Chicago is where friendly judges let murderers walk out on bail. But teachers are part of the protected voter base.
All of us should consider ourselves on camera at all times.
Let the kid record. Let anyone record. If you object, you shouldn’t be saying it.
I will allow for carve-outs where family, banking, and business dealings need to remain private. However, if a crime figures in, fair game in my book.
As for this principle and the child, what possible harm would come of recording the conversation? If it’s fit for the ears of the kid, it should be open to the public.
Honorable mention goes to New Jersey and Maryland. Even the crap we have here in California today doesn’t equal these human toilets.
Uhhh, please... you’ve GOT to be kidding!!
Perhaps one of our legal minds here can tell us if Illinois is a one party state (for recording conversations).
Illinois is what’s called a “two party state”. That means both parties in a conversation must consent to being recorded. Know the law. He scrwwed up.
This having been said, a school principal should be smart enough to never say anything he wouldn’t want others to hear.
I think it owns that spot hands down and has for quite some time now.
He’s 13. His record can be wiped as clean as Hellary’s phone. What was the principal so upset that might have been caught on tape?
Mr. b and I went into have a face to face with the principal about lil darlin’. Lil Darlin’ did the grieveous crime of having her mp3 player in her purse. When she was at the teacher’s desk going over some homework, a group of boys got into her purse without her knowledge or permission and turned on the music. Teacher sent the boys to the office to be disciplined. Idiot principal let the boys off but gave darlin’ d-hall. Seems mp3 players are supposed to be kept in their lockers, never mind her locker was way across campus where she never went so had to carry everything with her all day and they had told her at the beginning of the year she couldn’t change lockers.
Anyway, we were nice but the principal went all bully on Mr. b. Mr. b started quoting TX law by code and where to find each in the law books. Principal got all red faced, stood up and started yelling that he wanted hubby to meet him in the parking lot. The asst. principal was literally hiding behind a desk. Yes, slipped down from his chair. I was doing everything in the world not to burst out laughing. I was in pain holding it in. Still laughing now! Bully principal was an ex-coach and thought he could take on a current LEO, hahahahahahaha! Hubby just sat there and was ever so pleasant which only infuriated jerk Principal more. Wish we’d known ahead of time to bring a recorder.
"I hope you know that this will go down on your permanent record."--Violent Femmes
Seriously, though, he was in the meeting. How was that eavesdropping? Sounds like "documenting" to me.
I live here, and you're exactly correct.
>>Illinois is what’s called a “two party state”. That means both parties in a conversation must consent to being recorded. Know the law. He scrwwed up.
In a culture where everyone carries a surveillance device in their pocket, this is a stupid law. Stupid laws exist as means of turning honest people into criminals because they are always selectively enforced.
If the 13 year old had shot the principal in the face, the “law” would have probably treated him more fairly.
Corrupt ores do not want their corruption documented.
“Honorable mention goes to New Jersey and Maryland. Even the crap we have here in California today doesn’t equal these human toilets.”
“Uhhh, please... you’ve GOT to be kidding!!”
It seem California is learning from and trying to emulate Illinois.
This is beyond ridiculous. Principal should be fired. Law needs to be thrown out.
Generally the states that are all party consent gave exceptions for if you believe a crime will be committed, you can record for evidence.
The only logical purpose of a law preventing you from recording your own conversations is to prevent you from gathering evidence against government employees and officials.
They can record you, but you can’t record them.
Obviously he can claim no protected status. I don’t even need to look to guess he is white, straight, and not muslim.
Thanks. I hadn’t been aware of that.
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