Truancy!
Basically, I'm seeking legal advice. Dumb idea with most of you guys, but eh?
Anyhow, leading up: I received three detentions, on the 7th for being late to class, on the 8th for "missing a class", and on the 14th for not returning to class at the end of the hour (gone on a pass).
For the first one, I told the teacher who issued it to me that I was allowed a 10-minute grace period (I start school 4th hour, and my dad's a slow driver) according to my IEP, and he said he'd talk to my Case Manager about it but issued it anyhow. The next morning I was not called to the office to be reminded of my detention, as everyone else is, so I thought that was all good.
Later that day (the next day), I go to the Computer Lab 7th hour in place of my study hall. I made sure I let my Case Manager know before going up there, since every study hall I'd had all year was with him (this was the first day I was moved to a study hall that period, after a schedule change). Our attendance person-lady wrote me a detention on the 8th and issued it on the morning of the 9th for being "absent without a note", so I took it up with my Case Manager and he said he'd take care of it.
A few days later, we have a substitute in Health class. I'd spent my lunch hour in the computer lab and the teacher approved of me coming back up during Health class (we were having a study-hall type deal), so wrote me a pass for the sub to sign. She signed it, I go. Nobody told me I was supposed to return at the end of the hour, but I got a detention for it anyhow.
Eventually, it all adds up to a day of in-school suspension. When I arrived fourth hour, a few minutes into class, my Case Manager showed up at the door and escourted me to the office. When the principal finally got around to talking to me (2PM), I told him that I refused to serve ISS, because I didn't earn it, and I needed to be in class. A half hour later, I'm sitting in the office with him and my mom, and we go over all my detentions (those three came up). I explain every one to him and the best defense he could conjure up was "I severly doubt you're telling the truth", at which point my mom draws up an "I ought to slap you silly, bastard" face. After a moment of silence (this is about 3:10 or so), he says "We're beating a dead horse here. [Me: I could have told you that a half hour ago, you're going no where.] Well thank you for your opinion. You can go home now, we'll count your in-school as served, and we're going to give you a truancy ticket."
Fast-forward two days -- I feel that they have no case against me. Not only did I commit no crime, but they also violated my constitutional rights of a "speedy trial" (not really a trial, but you get the idea), notification of the accusations against me (I wasn't notified until it escalated to this), and his "I severely doubt you're telling the truth" was violating "innocent until proven guilty."
What's the best way to tell this to a judge without sounding arrogant? Oh.. and am I right?
