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Authors: Earl Sewell
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admit that she'd had one too many.
"Ma'am, have you ever given alcohol to your son?" asked Judge Hill.
"Who, Wesley?" My mother asked the question as if she'd never heard of me. "You know, it's better if he does that kind of thing at home with me where it's safe." My mom looked to the judge for approval of her rationale, but she didn't get it. "Look, I'd rather that he be in the house with me drinking than being out in the streets. At least I'd be able to monitor him." My mom began raising hell because she wasn't getting the response she wanted from Judge Hill. "Sure, I've let him have a glass of wine around the holidays and other special occasions." My mom finally admitted that she had introduced me to alcohol.
"Do you realize that in this state that is considered to be child endangerment?" asked Judge Hill.
"Come on, it's just a sip of wine from time to time. It's nothing serious." My mom downplayed the significance of her error in judgment.
"I have no further questions," said Judge Hill as she be gan jotting down some notes. "Mr. Waters, do you have any questions?"
"Yes, Your Honor, I do," said Mr. Waters. "First, I'd like to state that the problems between Wesley and his mother go back several years. Now, Ms. Carter, would you like for Wesley to go home with you today?"
"Yes, Wesley needs to be at home with me. His dad is too irresponsible to take good care of him like I do."
"Do you feel that providing a minor with alcohol is a good standard of parental care?"
"Look, it's not as if I gave my son a bottle of Jack Daniel's after school and said 'drink up.' It was just a few sips of wine every now and again."
"Ms. Carter, do you keep alcohol in your home?"
"Of course I do. Everyone does," my mom answered.
"Ms. Carter, are you aware that when Wesley was picked up by the police, he had a blood-alcohol level that was above the legal driving limit?"
"Yes, I know about that."
"Where do you think Wesley got the alcohol from?"
"I don't know, out in the streets somewhere. He probably got it from one of his older friends. Now, that's who you should be after. The one who gave him the hard stuff." My mother wanted to get the focus off of her.
"Ms. Carter, is it fair to say that your protection of Wesley from drinking outside of the home has failed and that, in fact, you have been encouraging your son to drink with you other than on special occasions?"
"No, that's not true!" my mom howled out. "Listen, mister! Don't you go trying to twist my words around! I'm a good mother and I love my son. He's all I've got. I can't be with him everywhere. If he gets alcohol out there in the streets, that's not my fault! You need to go out and find the criminals who got him intoxicated. If I knew who did it, I'd go and make a citizen's arrest myself!"
"Your Honor, I have no further questions," said Mr. Waters.
"Okay, I want to hear from Wesley," said Judge Hill. "Please approach the bench."
I stood up from my seat and approached the bench near Judge Hill. I was nervous but happy because I was finally going to get a chance to tell my side of the story.
"Wesley." Judge Hill looked at me.
"Yes, ma'am," I answered.
"Who would you like to be released to today?" she asked.
"If I had a choice, I'd really like to go and live with my dad."
"Why is that?" she asked.
"Because." I paused to select the right words. I had wanted to be fearless with my criticism of my mother, but when I looked at her I began to feel sorry for her. "I mean—my dad and I get along well and me and my mom don't. We haven't gotten along in a very long time. My life was great until I turned thirteen." I sniffled. "Aw, man." I felt myself tearing up as I was about to speak the truth and bare my soul to Judge Hill. "As far as I know, the reason my parents got a divorce is because my mom accused him of physically abusing me. And that just wasn't true. When she
"Ma'am, have you ever given alcohol to your son?" asked Judge Hill.
"Who, Wesley?" My mother asked the question as if she'd never heard of me. "You know, it's better if he does that kind of thing at home with me where it's safe." My mom looked to the judge for approval of her rationale, but she didn't get it. "Look, I'd rather that he be in the house with me drinking than being out in the streets. At least I'd be able to monitor him." My mom began raising hell because she wasn't getting the response she wanted from Judge Hill. "Sure, I've let him have a glass of wine around the holidays and other special occasions." My mom finally admitted that she had introduced me to alcohol.
"Do you realize that in this state that is considered to be child endangerment?" asked Judge Hill.
"Come on, it's just a sip of wine from time to time. It's nothing serious." My mom downplayed the significance of her error in judgment.
"I have no further questions," said Judge Hill as she be gan jotting down some notes. "Mr. Waters, do you have any questions?"
"Yes, Your Honor, I do," said Mr. Waters. "First, I'd like to state that the problems between Wesley and his mother go back several years. Now, Ms. Carter, would you like for Wesley to go home with you today?"
"Yes, Wesley needs to be at home with me. His dad is too irresponsible to take good care of him like I do."
"Do you feel that providing a minor with alcohol is a good standard of parental care?"
"Look, it's not as if I gave my son a bottle of Jack Daniel's after school and said 'drink up.' It was just a few sips of wine every now and again."
"Ms. Carter, do you keep alcohol in your home?"
"Of course I do. Everyone does," my mom answered.
"Ms. Carter, are you aware that when Wesley was picked up by the police, he had a blood-alcohol level that was above the legal driving limit?"
"Yes, I know about that."
"Where do you think Wesley got the alcohol from?"
"I don't know, out in the streets somewhere. He probably got it from one of his older friends. Now, that's who you should be after. The one who gave him the hard stuff." My mother wanted to get the focus off of her.
"Ms. Carter, is it fair to say that your protection of Wesley from drinking outside of the home has failed and that, in fact, you have been encouraging your son to drink with you other than on special occasions?"
"No, that's not true!" my mom howled out. "Listen, mister! Don't you go trying to twist my words around! I'm a good mother and I love my son. He's all I've got. I can't be with him everywhere. If he gets alcohol out there in the streets, that's not my fault! You need to go out and find the criminals who got him intoxicated. If I knew who did it, I'd go and make a citizen's arrest myself!"
"Your Honor, I have no further questions," said Mr. Waters.
"Okay, I want to hear from Wesley," said Judge Hill. "Please approach the bench."
I stood up from my seat and approached the bench near Judge Hill. I was nervous but happy because I was finally going to get a chance to tell my side of the story.
"Wesley." Judge Hill looked at me.
"Yes, ma'am," I answered.
"Who would you like to be released to today?" she asked.
"If I had a choice, I'd really like to go and live with my dad."
"Why is that?" she asked.
"Because." I paused to select the right words. I had wanted to be fearless with my criticism of my mother, but when I looked at her I began to feel sorry for her. "I mean—my dad and I get along well and me and my mom don't. We haven't gotten along in a very long time. My life was great until I turned thirteen." I sniffled. "Aw, man." I felt myself tearing up as I was about to speak the truth and bare my soul to Judge Hill. "As far as I know, the reason my parents got a divorce is because my mom accused him of physically abusing me. And that just wasn't true. When she
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