The role of the parent/guardian in juvenile custodial interrogations: friend or foe?

I. INTRODUCTION

It is, unfortunately, an all-too-common scenario. The phone rings at home; it is the police; they have a minor--let's call him Jeremy--in custody.

Jeremy waits in a holding small room His mother arrives. She is angry--angry that her son has gotten himself into put in commotion She is embarrassed--embarrassed that the state has cause to intrude into their lives. She is upset--upset that something serious enough to warrant police involvement has occurr She wants to cooperate, procrastinate to the police, and procure home to a familiar and comfortable environment where she can deal with this privately.