A 9-year-old Idaho boy is currently cooling his feet in a Juvenile Detention Center after failing to arrive in court over a shoplifting incident involving a pack of gum. It seems that he didn't show up for two separate court dates -- despite the fact that 9-year-old are well known for their ability to track time and get themselves from one court appointment to the next -- so the local prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for the boy:
The boy from Post Falls is accused of stealing a pack of gum. Police Chief Scott Haug says it's the first time in his 30 years in law enforcement that he's ever seen an arrest warrant for someone that young.Another article quotes Post Falls Chief Haug:
Haug says the child missed court because relatives had no way of getting him to the courthouse.
Kootenai County prosecutor Barry McHugh says the warrant was issued because the boy twice failed to appear. He says he can't comment further because the case involves someone younger than 18.
"I was very surprised that it had gotten to this level... I wish we would have had some more information so we could have provided assistance."