Well, I’m glad that’s settled.
DALLAS – A Dallas County jury found a father not guilty Tuesday of theft for taking away his daughter’s cell phone as punishment.
Ronald Jackson, 36, was charged with theft of property of at least $50 but under $500, a Class B misdemeanor.
Dallas County Criminal Court Judge Lisa Green ordered the jury to find Jackson not guilty after ruling the state failed to present sufficient evidence to continue the case.
Jackson said he took his 12-year-old daughter’s cell phone as punishment after finding inappropriate texts in September 2013. A few hours later, officers from the Grand Prairie Police Department showed up at his front door, asking for the iPhone 4 back.
“At that point, I decided the police don’t interfere with my ability to parent my daughter,” Jackson said.
Michelle Steppe, the child’s mother, sees it differently.
“As a mom, I’m upset because — number one — the property belongs to me,” she said.
Steppe told jurors on Monday she called police the day her daughter lost the use of her phone for disciplinary reasons.
“You can’t take someone’s property, regardless if you’re a parent or not,” Steppe said.
Not really settled – father plans to file civil rights case now. Court dismissed for lack of evidence – did not really address if father had the right to take the phone, which he did not own & he was not paying for the service. The mother (who he was never married to, and he had no relationship with the girl until she was 7) technically owns the phone – he should have given it to her. I don’t see that being biological father entitles him to the property of the biological mother.
It’s amazing the social nonsense that is produced when the sanctity of marriage is not respected.
Kevin, stay on topic. Don’t bring the Palins into this.
John,
Why not?
This could hapen in that situation as well. Parents end up surrendering their parental power to the children with all sorts of consequences…like this story.
Earl Butz once joked about the Pope
Telling Catholics about birth control
( in an Italian accent)
You no a playa the game ,
You no a make a the rules ”
The pop isnt paying for the phone
He no a playa the game !
I think T of B has it about right.
Kevin, the situation is the same if this couple were married. If one parent disagrees with the other, who overrules? (Oh, I know, woman submits to man because God says so.)
If parents were married and one has to take other spouse to court over this….are they really married?
Mature marital spouses resolve this without court having to be involved.
You show me a marriage that has to do this, I’ll show you a couple not respecting their marriage and each other.
That’s my point. It doesn’t have anything to do with whether they’re married or not, or whether you think they’re “respecting the sanctity of marriage” or not.
It’s a news item about people who can’t solve their own problems. Why exactly couldn’t Dad simply return Mom’s phone to her?
Ask a cop or a family attorney or a human services worker – happens all day long, every day.
John,
It does matter if they are married, because you would not treat your spouse like this…if you were a good spouse.
Personally, I’m tired of dealing with the broken refuse of broken marriages, or those that never got married at all and view their significant other as “disposable”. The price the kids pay for the lack of parenting and their selfishness in getting revenge on their “ex” is increadible. Some of the kids I hire view their job as stress relief from the broken dung heap of their dysfunctional parental units.
This story reminds me of the broken dung heap of dysfunctional parental units.
Plenty of married people treat each other this way.
Do you realize that half of the marriages today last forever and end in death?
John,
If marital spouses treat each other this way, then it is just a hollow shell of a marriage, like the Clintons.
Dad was paying for the service.
This is a sad situation.
When I was that age if I did what his daughter did, well I wouldn’t be alive.
The only reason charges were filed is the ex is married to her personal mangina attack pit bull cop.
Had it not been for that the answer by the cops to anyone else would be it’s a civil matter.
Momma is on go fund me raising money for a dogs medical bills.
https://www.gofundme.com/l58m4o
Daughter testified falsities about her dad in the criminal case, allegations by dad in his suit against Grand Prairie is that the cop step daddy coached her how to lie but not be chargeable with perjury.