1. spklvr

    spklvr Contributor Contributor

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    An unregistered child?

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by spklvr, Feb 28, 2011.

    I'm wondering what would happen if a person was unregistered in the states and got arrested. I recently found a story I gave up on a while ago, and wanted to work on it a bit more.

    It's about a boy whose mother was a victim of human trafficking, and then murdered when the boy was ten. His father, a drug-dealer, didn't think he would get custody of his son if he registered him, and kept the boy a secret from the police. The boy didn't go to school and have never spent any time around people his own age, leaving him socially awkward. And most of the morals he's learned in life comes from reading comic books (especially batman).

    The story starts when the boy is 17, and he brutally murders a cannibal/pedophile and saves the life of two young girls. The case gets a lot of media attention because of the public viewing him as a hero, and the police being unable to look away from the fact that he tortured and murdered the man.

    That the boy is unregistered is kind of important to his back story, but it complicates things a bit since I have no clue what would happen to him when he gets arrested. The story takes place in a fictional city, and what state is never mentioned.
     
  2. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    if you're referring to his birth not being registered, that's common enough in the states... he could have been born at home with no doctor present, for instance... but to get to the age of 17 without having attracted the attention of a social worker doesn't seem all that possible, unless he was raised where there were no neighbors to see him, or never allowed out of the house... which also does happen, sorry to say...

    however, having no birth or school records wouldn't have any impact on his being arrested, other than there not being any record of who he actually is, or how old he is... the age might be a problem if he appears to be a minor and thus could be tried either in juvenile or criminal court... but the nature of his crime and his motive could be factors in making that decision, if there's any possibility he may be underage...

    another thing to consider is that if he is small and appears younger than his actual age, he wouldn't be jailed with adult inmates, would instead be held in a juvenile facility... he would probably also undergo psychological testing, either by court order, or at the request of his attorney, to help determine his 'mental age' and whether he was responsible for his actions...
     
  3. Ellipse

    Ellipse Contributor Contributor

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    If the boy was born in the states then it is possible the government would grant him citizenship once the case is done.

    Did the boy's father bother to get him a fake ID or at least appoint someone to help him? There are certain things that cannot be done without a social security number, birth certificate, or some form of ID.
     
  4. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    A person with no documentation whatsoever is likely to be considered an illegal alien. If he or she is unable to produce ANY proof of identity, his or her citizenship could be a real problem, especially if a criminal case is filed.

    These days, an umregistered birth is possible, and the child would have to be home-schooled or indigent, and would find it difficult to find work without a Social Security number.

    Undoubtedly there are parents who rebel against an increasingly intrusive government, but they really are doing the child no favors by keeping him or her "under the radar."
     
  5. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    if proof is found that he was born in the us, citizenship doesn't have to be 'granted' because he'd automatically have it...
     
  6. PurpleCandle

    PurpleCandle New Member

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    about 3 years ago a small Mexican family moved down the street from me.

    There were 2 girls (9 and 5) and a boy infant. The two girls went to school with my daughter and they often came to my house to play.

    One day the 9 year old says to me, "My brother and sister were born here, but I was not." I said "really?" She said, "Yep, one night a man carried me in the dessert to a van and then I was able to live with my mom".. I quickly said, "Don't ever tell that to anyone again sweet heart!"

    I found out she was telling the truth, she had no legal standing in the US, but she was able to go to school, qualify for extra English tutoring, medicaid and food stamps.

    I have also known migrant farm workers without legal status who migrate all over the country without papers and they still qualify and are able to go to school, rent houses and so on.

    But as to what happens when he is arrested~ this was told to me by a Mexican friend~ Most Americans sort of think that most Hispanics sort of look alike, so sometimes they can use fake IDs and get away with it. However, more common is that they use real IDs obtained by other Mexican's legally. If one guy has a legal driver's licence, he will go get a few copies (telling DMV that the ID was lost) and sell or give them to look alike friends.

    OR Many Mexican men come up here to work and send money back home and they themselves return back to Mexico. I know someone who worked at a Waffle house for 5 years straight (legally) and by the time he went home he had made is family wealthy, living in nice houses with servants. Anyways, once they go back they can give their old American papers an IDs to friends still in the States.

    Either way, it is entirely possible for the boy to have legit documents that do not belong to him, but would suffice in getting him out of jail.
     

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