Dad Arrested for Taking Daughter’s Phone as Punishment

[VanceMack]

This! And only a couple people have caught this. This is what really jumped out at me. I believe, but it's only speculation as I have no way to prove it, that he never would have been arrested had there not been a cop involved with the mother.

That being said... the father was right to take the phone. If the mother did indeed buy it, then the father was in the wrong to not return it to her later when she asked, but this faux pas on his part is minor compared to her borderline psychotic tendencies.

As far as the verdict. He lost time, money (in defense), gained an arrest record, was publicly humiliated (by being arrested), and lost a relationship with his daughter. He may have prevailed in court and avoided a conviction, but he didn't "win" by any stretch of the imagination.

"Winning" as we have learned is certainly a relative term. Its a tragic situation, but one that I suspect his ex wife had been feeding all along (gauging ONLY by the info from the article-who knows....the guy could have been the source of the problem during their marriage). I've seen numerous instances where children are the rope in parental tug of wars...it seldom ends well. Sounds like he has made a wise choice to step back from both of them for a while. Hopefully, he will remain open to creating a relationship with the daughter at some point when she is an adult, away from the mother, and can see beyond the train wreck.

 

[HonestJoe]

Yep this is why so many people have a low opinion of police now. They keep abusing their power and are never held accountable for it.

So on the sole basis that he’s a police officer, you’ve decided that he is automatically guilty of some form of corruption in this case? :roll:

 

[Andalublue]

"Winning" as we have learned is certainly a relative term. Its a tragic situation, but one that I suspect his ex wife had been feeding all along (gauging ONLY by the info from the article-who knows....the guy could have been the source of the problem during their marriage). I've seen numerous instances where children are the rope in parental tug of wars...it seldom ends well. Sounds like he has made a wise choice to step back from both of them for a while. Hopefully, he will remain open to creating a relationship with the daughter at some point when she is an adult, away from the mother, and can see beyond the train wreck.

I think that's a very balanced and sensible response. The divorce looks as if it must have been a total train wreck that has clearly infected the lives of those people well beyond the decree absolute. Bad and sad for all involved.

 

[radcen]

"Winning" as we have learned is certainly a relative term. Its a tragic situation, but one that I suspect his ex wife had been feeding all along (gauging ONLY by the info from the article-who knows....the guy could have been the source of the problem during their marriage). I've seen numerous instances where children are the rope in parental tug of wars...it seldom ends well. Sounds like he has made a wise choice to step back from both of them for a while. Hopefully, he will remain open to creating a relationship with the daughter at some point when she is an adult, away from the mother, and can see beyond the train wreck.

I'm with ya.

 

[azgreg]

**** like this puts me right back in the "Why do you drink" thread.

 

[ludin]

Sounded to me like it was the father being a super-prick. He could just have given the phone back to the ex-wife and it would have all been over. The article said it was him that wanted it taken to a jury trial. I agree that the arrest in the night was ridiculous, but so was his escalating of the incident into a court case. How the prosecutors allowed it to get to court I cannot fathom.

not at all. it is called parenting and if more parents did it instead of letting suzy do want suzy wants do to
then kids might be a bit more respectful than what they are.

 

[Dirt Racer]

I agree with the outcome of the trial. The court made the right decision by essentially leaving this as a civil matter. As long as the daughter was at Dads home then it's his rules. The proper response from Dad should have been to give the phone back to the wife with instructions she is not allowed to have it at his home for some length of time ( grounded ). Sounds to me like the Mom was trying to undermine Dads authority in his home as well as being vindictive. Dad took it too far by not giving the phone back to the X and being the bigger person in this ordeal. Now they have no relationship at all, so who really won?

All three have an enormous amount of growing up to do!

 

[Skeptic Bob]

Surprisingly interesting case.

The father has every right to prevent the daughter from using the phone while in his custody. But since the mom purchased it I don't see how the father can refuse giving it back to the mother.

In a joint custody situation can one parent take, and KEEP, whatever they want from their child even if the other parent paid for it and the child has returned to the other parent's custody?

I am sure glad my parents remained civil when they got divorced.

 

[Hawkeye10]

That this matter resulted in an arrest, in a charge and then a trial shows well how badly America has gone wrong. The law is not the tool for every job. That this dispute went the way it did, that we did not have a less costly less traumatic and less time consuming way to deal with the situation is pathetic.

We should be ashamed of our country, I know I am.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Sounded to me like it was the father being a super-prick. He could just have given the phone back to the ex-wife and it would have all been over. The article said it was him that wanted it taken to a jury trial. I agree that the arrest in the night was ridiculous, but so was his escalating of the incident into a court case. How the prosecutors allowed it to get to court I cannot fathom.

Even before the arrest having your new police officer boyfriend show up at your ex-husbands house over what was initially the discipline of his own daughter. I'm quite sure it escalated on both sides from there.

 

[Lursa]

Yep this is why so many people have a low opinion of police now. They keep abusing their power and are never held accountable for it.

It wasnt the police's decision. They are not the court and they dont make those decisions.

The mother called to report stolen property and until the court decided the issue, the police were doing their job: arresting the guy who possessed the alleged stolen property.

 

[Lursa]

Come on, this was a divorced couple dispute. The ex-wife was being a super prick!

And harmed the father's relationship with the daughter while doing it. It may or may not been her intent but that damage is IMO incredibly selfish and irresponsible.

 

[Lursa]

Sounded to me like it was the father being a super-prick. He could just have given the phone back to the ex-wife and it would have all been over. .

And what if she gave it back to the daughter? Then his authority and the punishment would have been undermined. He was doing his job as a parent.

 

[Hari Seldon]

And harmed the father's relationship with the daughter while doing it. It may or may not been her intent but that damage is IMO incredibly selfish and irresponsible.

Yea, some divorces get pretty ugly. I'm sure the husband could have handled it better as well. I bet neither side wanted to give an inch once it escalated.

 

[Andalublue]

Even before the arrest having your new police officer boyfriend show up at your ex-husbands house over what was initially the discipline of his own daughter. I'm quite sure it escalated on both sides from there.

That's not what the article said. It said: "Steppe is now married to a Grand Prairie, Texas, police officer. When the police showed up at Jackson’s door later that day and asked for the iPhone 4 back, Jackson refused." Not only did it not say that it was the ex-wife's boyfriend who turned up, it didn't even say that it was the same police department he worked for that turned up.

 

[Andalublue]

And what if she gave it back to the daughter? Then his authority and the punishment would have been undermined. He was doing his job as a parent.

If the ex-wife disagreed with his assessment of the daughter's alleged wrong-doing, that would have been her right. She's the custodial parent after all. There must be a reason why she has custody.

 

[DiAnna]

Two parents trying to stick it to each other, with a child caught in the middle. This nonsense dragged on for three freaking years! The result? A shattered relationship between a girl and her father, because both parents hate each other more than they love their child.

 

[Lursa]

If the ex-wife disagreed with his assessment of the daughter's alleged wrong-doing, that would have been her right. She's the custodial parent after all. There must be a reason why she has custody.

I dont buy that at all, fathers often get shafted when it comes to custody. And it's interesting you are so willing to speculate there is something wrong with the father's parenting, since he is the one that acted responsibly here, disciplining the daughter IMO appropriately.

If *I* speculate on the mother's parenting...it's based on "her" actions....bringing charges against the kid's father and IMO going overboard to criminalize the father, harming her daughter's relationship with him...a pretty common tactic during/after divorce.

 

[Andalublue]

I dont buy that at all, fathers often get shafted when it comes to custody. And it's interesting you are so willing to speculate there is something wrong with the father's parenting, since he is the one that acted responsibly here, disciplining the daughter IMO appropriately.

Except you have no idea what the daughter posted, just that the father took exception to it. You are assuming he was right in his assessment of the content. Why are you so willing to take his position and not that of the ex-wife and daughter?

 

[beerftw]

Sheesh, I got the belt to the ass and a good grounding whenever I acted like a total moron.

Oh yeah when I was a kid, I was punished by walking to school, uphill both ways, in the snow in 115 degree heat while fighting dragons and taking arrows to the knee!

 

[Hari Seldon]

That's not what the article said. It said: "Steppe is now married to a Grand Prairie, Texas, police officer. When the police showed up at Jackson’s door later that day and asked for the iPhone 4 back, Jackson refused." Not only did it not say that it was the ex-wife's boyfriend who turned up, it didn't even say that it was the same police department he worked for that turned up.

You are correct it didn't say the boyfriend police officer showed up. However I would be willing to bet he had some influence in the matter. Either way it was a miserable situation. How much is an Iphone 4 worth anyway. Can't be $1500

 

[Skeptic Bob]

I think people are missing the big picture. It is 2016. Who the hell would want an iPhone 4 back? Will the apps even work on a phone that old?

 

[Reformedfindlay]

Oh yeah when I was a kid, I was punished by walking to school, uphill both ways, in the snow in 115 degree heat while fighting dragons and taking arrows to the knee!

The belt is that unbelievable?

 

[beerftw]

The belt is that unbelievable?

Yes very unbelievable, Making your kids fight dragons with only imperial armor instead of dragonbone, because you are being punished, very real, oh yeah uphill both ways snow etc, and i think there was a cthulhu on that walk.

 

[Reformedfindlay]

Yes very unbelievable, Making your kids fight dragons with only imperial armor instead of dragonbone, because you are being punished, very real, oh yeah uphill both ways snow etc, and i think there was a cthulhu on that walk.

:2razz: