TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross

Jailed for working too hard

May 29, 2012 @ 8:50 am

Now there are 31,000 signatures and counting on a petition to reconsider the case of Diane Tran. She's a junior at Willis High School, near Houston, taking what sounds like a pretty challenging course load.

"Dual credit U.S. History, English, college Algebra, Spanish AP," says Tran.

And her reward:

"She spent the night here in the Montgomery County Jail after the judge threw her in there for excessive truancy," says a news report.

You see Diane Tran says her parents, out of the blue, one day decided to get divorced and moved out of state, abandoning Diane and her siblings. SO the two jobs she had to get to support the family, and her course load, left her so tired she missed ten days of school in six months, so the school reported her and the judge jailed her -- because as he says the law is the law."

"A little stay in a jail for one night, it's not a death sentence," says the judge.

No, it's not a death sentence, it just seems, what's the word -- stupid.

The judge, you see, didn't know the details of the case-- so KHOU reporter Sherry Williams filled him in.

Williams: Can anything be done to revoke this?

Judge: I haven't thought on that issue, because it turns me really soft.

The judge is worried it might leave him with a reputation for being soft. This IS Texas, remember.

He's worried about what happens the NEXT time a truant student comes in and says, hey your honor, you let that girl off -- what about me? I've got a hard life too.

Hmmm. Well, suppose the judge says, oh, so you're an honor student taking two dual credit courses, college level algebra, and AP Spanish, and working two jobs because your parents up and walked away one day?

I'll tell you what's soft -- not issuing a bench warrant to drag those divorced parents back to Texas and find out what THEY were thinking.

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Comments (3)


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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Not even Texas allows for the work ethic any more. ??
    May 29, 2012 8:08 am
    Let's see, this Diane Tran must be 17 (?), being a HS junior. Old enough in most states to quit school entirely. BUT, because she is trying to both support her siblings AND go to school, she's a truant ??? ..................... And the judge is how old ??? .......... And who is acting the mature adult ????? ........................................................................................... This judge is afraid he will look 'soft' if he doesn't jail this kid ?? Sounds like he's more afraid of looking 'human'.
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  • deltta wrote...
    My dog
    May 29, 2012 11:58 pm
    Likes balls
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    So let me get this straight
    May 30, 2012 6:05 am

    This judge is more worried about looking soft than doing what is right?

    So now we got judges making a politically correct ruling so that he can maintain his job and not ruling based off the merit of the evidence presented to him.

    There is a reason I don't go to texas, I just past thru it that hell hole locked and loaded and only relax when I am finally out of texas.

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