http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=28d2acca-9947-44cc-8831-9859f1f6137e

A Fairfield man is in jail because his daughter hasn't gotten her General Equivalency Diploma (GED).

A judge ordered the father to stay on top of his daughter's education months ago and when that order wasn't followed, Brian Gegner was sentenced to 180-days in the Butler County jail.

The daughter, Brittany Gegner, says her father shouldn't be punished for her problems.

Especially, she says because she's now 18, an adult.

"It's ridiculously wrong," said Brittany Gegner.

"Of all the punishments they could have given him, to make him go to jail?," she asked. "I mean, probation – until I get my GED – would be reasonable, but to send him to jail? That's overboard."

Butler County Juvenile Court Judge David Niehaus ordered Gegner to jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor by not following a court order which required Gegner to be sure his daughter got her GED.

This comes after ongoing problems of Brittany skipping classes at Fairfield High School and then, Butler Tech.

While Brian Gegner had custody of her, Brittany says it was while she lived with her mother that she was truant.

"I'm about to be 19 and my Dad's being punished for something I did when I was 16," she said.

"It's like I should, if anybody should be punished for this," said Brittany. "I would way rather me go to jail than my Dad."

"They probably should have punished me if they were going to punish anybody," said Brittany's mother Shana Roach. "Because she did live with me at the time, but because he had the custody, that's why he's being punished."

"But I don't understand the punishment all together because she's going to school, she's been going for four months," said Roach. "The only thing that's holding her back is she can't pass her math test."

Brittany has a daughter who's about 18-months-old.

She says she's determined to pass the GED for her daughter – and her father.

The judge says if she passes the test, her father could get out of jail before his six-months sentence is up.

Brittany's step-mother worries the time in jail will ruin their family.

She says he could lose the job he's worked for 15-years.

"I never dreamed they would put him in jail for this – for six months – it's crazy," said Stephanie Gegner, Brittany's step-mother.

"He has no control over what his adult daughter does," she said. "He just doesn't."

Court administrators say that even though Brittany is an adult now, the case remains active in their court because she was a juvenile when the problems started.

They say this type of punishment is rare and reserved for extreme cases when court orders aren't met.

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our legal system is so fked up...

That girl should be in jail for not passing.. Not the father..

she shouldn't even be in jail for not passing. wtf. Is it a law that every person must past high school or a GED now?

That's frickin' great. "Be cool, stay in school. Or you'll go to jail."

^ lol, well yea.. I don't think education is mandatory after age 16 or 17. So if shes 18, it shouldn't be the fathers fault. Maybe she just doesn't want to pass.

I think that judge should be placed in prison for 180 days.....

That's an odd story. I've heard of so many other stories of people who've never graduated from high school.. never heard they or their parents went to prison for it either.

I suppose they're trying to enforce graduation due to Social Security? Don't want people going on wellfare just because they couldn't attend classes when they were 15 years old. Of course, just because they don't graduate, doesn't mean they won't get a job, however, chances are less that they will (or will get one that will enable them to survive). I can understand both sides here.

creative sentencing? yes

completely stupid? yes

cost taxpayer unecessary money? yes.

The jail time is for failure to follow a court order, which technically is ok.

Sadly, the court order is pretty stupid. The girl has been going to school again, seems to actually be trying to get her shit together now, but failed the test. So the father goes to jail? That's a good way to completely de-rail an entire family.

Why do so many judges seem to be complete jackasses?

The jail time is for failure to follow a court order, which technically is ok.

Sadly, the court order is pretty stupid. The girl has been going to school again, seems to actually be trying to get her shit together now, but failed the test. So the father goes to jail? That's a good way to completely de-rail an entire family.

Why do so many judges seem to be complete jackasses?

lets try to keep democrats or anything else political out of this discussion please sir :)

"180 days!" his daughter was quoted as saying. "That's like a whole month."

^bwahahahaha. good one!

its funny how she knows the word "rediculous" and "overboard" bet she didn't know how to spell it!!

ha

WOW, our court system never siezes to amaze me in how stupid they can be.

That is just plain ridiculous.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=28d2acca-9947-44cc-8831-9859f1f6137e



While Brian Gegner had custody of her, Brittany says it was while she lived with her mother that she was truant.

...

She skips school while living with her mother.
The judge's solution: Throw the father in jail.
Anyone see something wrong with this picture?

She skips school while living with her mother.
The judge's solution: Throw the father in jail.
Anyone see something wrong with this picture?and people wonder why I have laughed in judges faces publicly.

She skips school while living with her mother.
The judge's solution: Throw the father in jail.
Anyone see something wrong with this picture?

combine that with the fact that her father had custody, but the daughter was living with the mother who confirms that...why didn't the court enforce the custody ruling?

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Failing GED? :rofl: Both should be in jail.

Failing GED? :rofl: Both should be in jail.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

In a twisted way, it is poetic justice...

Families are producing kids and not training them properly - the girl skipped school, failed to graduate, got pregnant, produced another human being, and finally, the parents are being held responsible - they should have put the Mom in too! And her boyfriend who made her pregnant but did not take responsibility for his baby!

At least the daughter is finally realizing that her actions are destroying the people who were raising her - too bad its coming so late... I wonder if her baby will grow up skipping classes and having pre-marital babies....

In a twisted way, it is poetic justice...

Families are producing kids and not training them properly - the girl skipped school, failed to graduate, got pregnant, produced another human being, and finally, the parents are being held responsible - they should have put the Mom in too! And her boyfriend who made her pregnant but did not take responsibility for his baby!

At least the daughter is finally realizing that her actions are destroying the people who were raising her - too bad its coming so late... I wonder if her baby will grow up skipping classes and having pre-marital babies....

so, you don't go to jail for that....

You shouldn't get money from the government for doing it though...

This is why real capitolism is good, not capitolism with welfare etc. bullshit.

SOuth Park should do a episode on this issue.

I don't agree with the poetic justice comment. The father shouldn't be in jail for this. There are many people that seem to think that only the parents are responsible. While I admit that there are many parents who are terrible at it, I've also seen fantastic parents ho just had very bad kids who refused to listen. It can go both ways. You can do everything right and still have a kid grow up to be worthless. You can also be a lousy parent and still have a child that grows up just fine. You never know. I'm not speaking about the odds if it happening though but it is possible. If kids want to be stupid, let them. The only thing I ask from parents is that they stop supporting their kids when they get this way. That's like welfare for the poor. It's promoting their current way of life with no motivation to do better.

so, you don't go to jail for that....

.


you do - or rather your Dad does- if the judge issues you and order and you dont follow that order. If they had an issue with his initial ruling they should have appealed it. they didnt. they chose to abide by that ruling /order. so in he goes.

i find this part humorous

said Brittany. "I would way rather me go to jail than my Dad." Brittany has a daughter who's about 18-months-old.



so who does she think should take care of the baby while she is serving daddy's time?

What about this dont you folk understand? Clearly in previous court hearings the Judge found her truancy to be at least partially the result of the FATHER not taking his custodial role seriously. So the Judge ordered him to do so or face jail time. This isnt the first time the PARENTS have been held responsible for the CHILD's actions or truancy. Its a long standing legal recourse.

http://www.aclu.org/crimjustice/gen/10257prs19991210.html
http://www.cyc-net.org/today2003/today030225.html
http://www.al.com/crime/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1209124392171530.xml&coll=3 << this past month april 08
http://www.wdef.com/news/judges_warn_parents_that_they_will_begin_enforcing _child_truancy_laws/04/2008 << tenneesee this past april
http://www.myfoxgulfcoast.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6387661&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 << Alabama April08

hell here's one story from 1922
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9401EED81F30EE3ABC4852DFB5668389 639EDE

other countries
Australia http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23466348-2,00.html
UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1984502.stm




This is exactly the right result.

^True, but the more important point is that she has been involved in her education now. She's obviously not bright, but she's put in the effort and even taken the GED test. So the initial order was to get some sort of work done towards that goal - but she failed. So it sounds to me like the order - qoute:"A judge ordered the father to stay on top of his daughter's education months ago" was followed since she was following up w/schooling for 4 months. Her being too stupid to pass is a separate issue. Specifically, it sounds like the father did "stay on top of his daughter's education", hence was not in violation of the court order at all.

She's bright alright. Pay back to dad? what better way to get even? She wouldn't do that though or would she? Well, so what if she passes the GED and dad is still in jail? Kind of enforces parent's responsiblity for their children in a crude way. Apparently the jails aren't full enough so the judge gets creative? The news media is tired of Rev Wright so they are looking for odd stories. That is a bit strange though I admit.

you do - or rather your Dad does- if the judge issues you and order and you dont follow that order. If they had an issue with his initial ruling they should have appealed it. they didnt. they chose to abide by that ruling /order. so in he goes.

i find this part humorous



so who does she think should take care of the baby while she is serving daddy's time?

What about this dont you folk understand? Clearly in previous court hearings the Judge found her truancy to be at least partially the result of the FATHER not taking his custodial role seriously. So the Judge ordered him to do so or face jail time. This isnt the first time the PARENTS have been held responsible for the CHILD's actions or truancy. Its a long standing legal recourse.

http://www.aclu.org/crimjustice/gen/10257prs19991210.html
http://www.cyc-net.org/today2003/today030225.html
http://www.al.com/crime/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1209124392171530.xml&coll=3 << this past month april 08
http://www.wdef.com/news/judges_warn_parents_that_they_will_begin_enforcing _child_truancy_laws/04/2008 << tenneesee this past april
http://www.myfoxgulfcoast.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6387661&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 << Alabama April08

hell here's one story from 1922
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9401EED81F30EE3ABC4852DFB5668389 639EDE

other countries
Australia http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23466348-2,00.html
UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1984502.stm




This is exactly the right result.


YEAH!!! WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!! AAAMMMMERRRRRIIICCCCAAAAA!!!

Do what I say or go to jail, scumbug.