A Night of Underaged Drinking isn’t Worth Going to Jail
Pictured: 18 year old Blaklee Sands, who took the idea of ‘fake it till you make it’ too far…
Kids have the tendency to want to grow up quickly. They want to be able to make their own rules and do things that adults get to do like drinking alcohol. Sometimes when they get to be 18 and are considered a legal adult they try to get away with drinking publicly. The issue is you need proof of being 21 so a fake ID sounds like a good idea right? Wrong. Having a fake ID can cause more legal issues than fun if caught.
Take 18 year old Blakelee Sands for example: She went to a bar in Edmond, Oklahoma and her fake ID was taken because the person checking IDs was able to tell it was fake. Having gotten so mad that the bar didn’t just deny her but took the fake ID from her, Blakelee called the police on the bar!
When the police arrived, she claimed that she was at least 21 years old (the legal drinking age) and that the bar was holding her ID wrongfully. She then asked the police to get it back to her. The police officer that showed up ran her ID. While the information printed on the ID claimed her name was McKamie Queen, upon scanning it the officer received information saying the ID was a Texas identification card… belonging to a Robert Sanchez.
Sands was arrested for presenting a fake ID to an officer, and later admitted that she didn’t think she’d get caught. In the end, her failed attempt at a night of fun could have been just that…but because of a few additional decisions, it turned into a night in jail!
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Questions:
1. If this happened in Nevada, what would the minimum and maximum punishments be for Blaklee?
2. Why do you think the bar didn’t call the police when they first realized it was a fake ID?
3. What federal charges could Blaklee have faced, and why?
4. How much of a difference – if any – was there in the consequences Blaklee faces since she was 18 years old instead of 17 when the incident occured?
Be sure to provide full explanations for your answers. For more details, you can read the article this piece was sourced from here:
https://wset.com/news/nation-
Contributed by: Saralynn Lindsay
Who is Responsible if a Robot Commits a Crime?
Pictured: Dancing robots programmed by Boston Dynamics
In late 2020, Robotics lab Boston Dynamics released a video that was both super adorable…and absolutely terrifying. In the video robots, programmed to have artificial intelligence, are dancing.
These features seem fun, but let’s think-this-out for the future. These dancing robots with artificial intelligence are originally programmed to dance but they can learn other skills beyond what was originally taught to them. Some robots have been made to do more than walk and talk like drive cars and make their own decisions. They call this artificial intelligence. A robot is programmed with basic actions, thoughts, and knowledge, then, just like any human, can learn and develop thoughts on their own.
The tricky part with robots is knowing who is responsible when a crime is committed. If it does something wrong, even something minor, like walking across the street where there isn’t a crosswalk, who is responsible for its actions? Or if it decides to rob a bank?
Some say that the designer is responsible because they are responsible for the basic thought process of the robot, based on how the designer thinks. Others think the robot is solely responsible because they are designed to think on their own and build knowledge off of experiences.
Robots have come a long way from being walking toys. It can be difficult to know how to treat a robot in a criminal case if it has never happened before. The more advanced the technology gets the more difficult it is to know who is responsible for the robots actions.
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Questions:
1. Who should be held accountable for a robot’s actions, the robot or the designer? Why?
2. If a driverless Tesla causes a car crash who is responsible? The designer of the driverless technology or the robot driving the car?
3. Do you think a computer programmed robot has the ability to become as fully functioning as humans? Why or why not?
4. If a crime is caused by an artificial intelligent robot in Nevada what might be the consequences? Does the severity of the crime matter?
Be sure to provide full explanations for your answers. For more details, you can read the article this piece was sourced from here:
To see the video….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn3KWM1kuAw
And to see the article that inspire….
http://www.vocativ.com/417732/robots-punished-committing-crimes/
Contributed by Saralynn Lindsay
A Florida Man Arresting for Trespassing on Disney Property
Pictured: 42-year-old Richard McGuire, the man who was caught trespassing on Disney property
The last year has been both crazy and relatively boring. The entire world was in lockdown for various amounts of time causing millions of Americans to stay at home. Everyone began to become restless, wanting nothing more than to get out of the house four a couple of days.
One man in particular, 42 year old Richard McGuire, decided to do just that by going on a week-long camping trip. This seems harmless right? He would be socially distanced, not breaking any Covid-19 related laws. What this man claims to have not realized was that he was breaking other laws. You see, in America camping is perfectly acceptable, but only in designated areas. This man went looking for a place to camp and found his way to what he claimed to be a “tropical island”. The island he was referring to was Walt Disney World’s Discovery Island.
Just like most all other non-essential businesses in America, the Happiest Place on Earth had to shut down during the pandemic, still remaining closed. Anyone that steps foot on Disney property while the park is closed is trespassing. Since Disney is such a large and popular company they are well prepared for catching anyone that is there outside of business hours. This man walked onto the island on Monday, ready for a week of camping, and was found by security on Thursday.
Security knew when made his way onto the island, but because of the nature and dense plant life they had trouble tracking him down. They had search parties on foot, boat and helicopter, all of which the man claimed he never heard. Once he was found he said he didn’t know it was Disney property but simply a “tropical paradise”. The issue was that in order to get to the island he had to pass two gates and several no trespassing signs. He was also warned by Orange County Marine deputies that he was not allowed on the island.
Once found, the man was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor of trespassing. He also lost all Disney privileges and is not allowed on any Disney property.
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Questions:
1. Do you think it was possible for the man to not know he was on a Disney island? Why or why not?
2. What else could the man be charged for? Explain your answer.
3. Is revoking all Disney privileges necessary? Why or why not?
4. What would be the consequences for trespassing if Disney World was in Nevada?
Be sure to provide full explanations for your answers. For more details, you can read the article this piece was sourced from here:
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/03/us/disney-island-camping-coronavirus-arrest-trnd/index.html
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Contributed by Saralynn Lindsay
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Thank you for letting us watch the civil case! It was cool because it was a real case and not one played out. I had a lot of fun watching the other kids act out a session. Thank you for your time.
- Kaylie [Hewetson Elementary - Grade 5]
My favorite part of the fieldtrip to the courthouse is when I got to play the part of Ron. I got to go on the witness chair and speaking. I helped Potter to be not guilty. Thank you for the great opportunity.
Thank you for letting us experience court for the first time. It was the best experience ever, thank you for everything. You really made me think about being a judge. Thank you
-Mina L [ Twitchell Elementary - Grade 5]
