Through personal experience over the past few weeks involving my 14-year-old son I have discovered flaws in the system pertaining to juveniles and their rights. The treatment he received from the Santa Rosa Sheriffs Department and the news media should be an embarrassment to all parties involved.

How can a juvenile with no criminal background be pulled from his classes, interrogated, handcuffed and taken from school property by a Sheriff's Detective without any phone calls to the parents from any authority notifying them of the situation? Why would the news media receive a press release but the parents not receive a phone call telling them where their son was for the night? How could the newspapers and television station morally publish pictures of 14 year olds? They have since published pictures of 12 year olds accused of crimes. How could the detective sit in a public bar and discuss the case while the juvenile sits in jail awaiting a hearing?

I do not want any family and their children in the future to go through what my family did. The loss of innocence and public embarrassment should not have to be endured by one so young until at least proven guilty.

Gunter

Larry Gunter is a resident of Gulf Breeze.