<p>Not all kids update their database records. His own line entry for contact number could be blank, but the home number could appear, under the parent info.</p>
<p>If most feel he should have an atty, I have no issue with that and will remember it, if the need arises. I just think we’ve got a terribly fazzled mom and maybe page after page of certainty the “police” are out to get him can add up. (I am not minimizing, just suggesting the point has now been clearly made that folks agree she should seek counsel, if this moves forward.)</p>
<p>Could very well be what he suspects. HE says his answers might suggest “depression” - they may view his answers as just potentially “off” or “disturbed” - and then if they picked him up on security cameras walking around the police station, all in black - they may think he’s casing the police station to see what kind of security the campus has, etc. You never know. They may just want to talk to him to see if he IS disturbed, and what he might be thinking. It sounds like this is what he suspects. He could be right. I would make the trip up there and go with him. If it seemed like they suspected him of actually doing something criminal, I would tell him not to answer any more questions and THEN get him a lawyer.</p>
<p>I was going to call CID (number that called me yesterday). But now I’m afraid to. S thinks it is best that he not show up. He didn’t have a specific appointment–they just said come in Tues. morning. He thinks it is most likely just the fact that he walked around the building. This is a big public suburban campus with about 20,000 students, so wonder how they identified him. Very slow there–biggest safety issue they said was “texting and walking.” So I wonder if S’s case is even important to them.
BTW, he was not even wearing black that day! I can see how he’d be profiled as the “loner–possibly disturbed.” I asked him if there could be anything questionable on his computer, websites he’s been on, anything he said or wrote that could be construed as threatening or disturbing. He says no, nothing. This kid is more of a reclusive/mute–he would never be suspected of stalking anyone. He avoids people. (So he is not like an Aspie who wants to have social contacts but annoys people with inappropriate behavior.)<br>
So for today, son will do nothing and see if they call him again. Meanwhile, I will try to contact a lawyer in that area, just in case.</p>
<p>I would call your personal attorney ASAP and get their advice. Maybe they can recommend someone in the town where your son attends school and have the attorney call the police station and take it from there. If it were me, I wouldn’t just no show, I’d have an attorney call and find out what is going on and why they want to talk to your son. But no, don’t let your son got there alone. No no NO!! </p>
<p>He should refuse to speak to them. My son has pdd-nos. His mannerisms come off as nervous, meaning guilty to police. If you cannot be there, you should at least explain to someone who would be involved in the questioning that your son has ASD. </p>
<p>For me, I would tell my son to not speak to the police about anything.</p>
<p>I agree that it’s a bad idea for him “to just not show up”. I doubt they’ll let that lie. If they really want to talk to him, they will push the issue, and you may not have time to respond appropriately. If anything, I would have him tell them, “I don’t want to come talk to you until I have my parents with me. I am autistic.” or something similar - and then I’d get up there.</p>
<p>atomom – Please keep us informed. I have never said this to someone I don’t know who is on an Internet discussion group, but I woke up thinking about your son last night. As a parent of a a son with autism, a boy who would not hurt anyone, is still quite naive, and lives to follow rules, I am concerned.</p>
<p>My guess (and only a guess) is that a student or professor has reported him for acting suspiciously because of his autistic behaviors. If he goes in and seems to the police to be paranoid (no eye contact, nervous rocking or finger flicking, strange answers – in other words, typical autistic behavior), that would not be good for him. The fact that they won’t even give him a clue as to what they are going to question him about sends up red flags.</p>
<p>I agree with cromette that not showing up without any explanation wouldn’t be good. This is where I’d probably get an attorney (even an attorney friend who knows your son) to call the police and talk to them. If the police call your son before that, he should answer that he has autism and will not talk without his parents (or an attorney) with him.</p>
<p>The no-show thing may be tricky but he can play the Autism card - isn’t a feature of autism forgetfulness - so he doesn’t appear intentionally uncooperative.</p>
<p>You need to get ducks in a row re how you will eventually talk to the cops - they may just go away, but I wouldn’t plan on it.</p>
<p>I would call the Bar association in the area where the school is located and ask for a referral to a local criminal defense attorney. It always helps if the attorney is familiar with the police, and knows who to call and for what purpose. This does not have to be an expensive proposition. Most attorneys who do criminal defense offer free consultations. Some would certainly be willing to make a phone call to determine what they want to speak with your son about for very little money. Once the attorney calls indicating he represents your son, the police will do one of two things. They will either tell the attorney what the issue is with your son, and then you can make a decision whether to retain him to assist your son during questioning, or they will decide that it is just too much work to deall with counsel, if the issue is insignificant.</p>
<p>I would never advise to just not show up, especially once he agreed to speak with them. Call the Police Dept(or campus police) and tell them that he will not be appearing today. I have been practicing criminal defense law for 25 years, I don’t mean to worry you, but we can’t put our heads in the sand and hope things go away. In my experience, once the police are involved things don’t just go away…</p>
<p>I think a no-show could look like avoidance. Can you proactively call, telling them about his autism and saying he’d love to talk with them but needs an attorney present? Then have an attorney make a call to find out what’s up. Maybe a call from the attorney would defuse it. If the police still want a meeting, I’d pay the attorney to be present. It’s expensive but necessary.</p>
<p>I know at my S’s school we pay $40/year for legal something or another unless you opt out of it. Does your S’s school have something like that which you may be paying for anyway and they can assist both of you thru this.</p>
<p>Is your son 18? I would imagine if not, you can call on his behalf and get some information. It’s not like they don’t know where to find him since he is living in a dorm. If under 18-I would call, but as I get slapped in the face with often, my son is over 18 now so I have access to nothing.</p>
<p>Have been thinking about you and your S. I would definitely want to get some answers today. Just to ease your minds. Plus-if they do not talk to someone, he may be on their radar thinking he has something to hide.</p>
<p>If it is the walking around the building thing, they can’t charge someone for walking around a building and that could be settled once and for all.</p>
<p>I wish I’d had the “don’t tell the police anything” talk with my S earlier. When he was just 15 he was pulled over (walking on our street with a friend who is black). They were put in the back seat of two separate police cars, intimidated and threatened until they told the police about the house they were walking from where other older kids (but underage) had had drinks and had apparently been loudly arguing, and the whole thing blew up from there.</p>
<p>I thought he wouldn’t be put in that kind of situation yet so I hadn’t told him he had to tell the police he wouldn’t speak to them without a parent or attorney there. I thought I’d be called for something like that. Boy was I wrong.</p>
<p>I never thought our local police force - the small town kind that checks your doors when you’re on vacation if you ask - would treat kids like that. But they did, and I lost my naivete and my respect for them, that day.</p>
<p>I think it best if someone speak or leave a message with the police that S will NOT be showing up and will NOT appear at all without an attorney representing him present. Just not showing up will likely escalate things–telling them that he is invoking his right to have an attorney present will make them decide what they will do and also involve an attorney to protect your son’s interests. If you have any attorney friends, they can make the phone call, even if they are not in your son’s state. They can also help you find an attorney in your son’s state.</p>
<p>Glad you are NOT having your son appear and “talk” with the police.</p>
<p>When my S was in HS he was in gym shorts and a t shirt coming back from a BBYO basketball game on a Sunday afternoon (thats a jewish youth group, for those unfamiliar). He pulled into the neighborhood and got pulled over, ostensibly for having a tail light out or something. The female cop called for back up, then asked to** search the car and frisked my s (who, remember, was in gym shorts and a t shirt). It was TOTALLY inappropriate and when I heard about it I was IRATE. The female cop, with absolutely NO reason, frisked a 17 yr old boy??? And searched the car (he said OK- he had no idea he should not have agreed). With NO cause. REALLY?!?!?! I was ready to make a stink and march right down to the nearby police station but my DS and DH asked me not to. It took a lot to talk me down. I told my s that under no circumstances should he ever **agree to let them search the car. He was to tell them that he cannot authorize permission as he was not the owner of the car (we owned it). He should have called us. I still steam about it and it was 6 years ago. Oh, and he got a warning for the tail light out.</p>
<p>They could have planted something in the car. I wouldn’t put it past them.
I, too, used to naively think the cops were our friends. I no longer believe that. Read MaidenMom’s post #75 over and over and OVER. It is the truth.</p>
<p>To those who have suggested (repeatedly) that the OP drive to her son’s school ASAP and accompany him to the police interview herself, I STRONGLY disagree.</p>
<p>As both attorneys and one judge on this thread have cautioned, even they, with all their training, would not go to a police station for questioning unless accompanied by their own attorney. Even an attorney needs someone to advocate on his or her behalf in these circumstances. The OP may be well-intentioned, and certainly knows her son, but he needs an attorney with him in these circumstances and not just his mom.</p>
<p>I would guess most college students, if it came down to needing a defense, would qualify for a public defender. </p>
<p>My plan would be to have son call and say he can not come in today, and he needs to know what this is regarding. If they refuse to tell him and are purposely vague, son needs to say, he will have his attorney call to make an appointment when attorney can be there. Period.</p>
<p>I would also check web and get a feel for cops at college. It’s easy enough see if there are complaints and will give one a better idea what they are dealing with.</p>
<p>Walking in blind for an interview is stupid. I am not saying son is stupid, but anyone going in with no idea why is asking for trouble. If it was no big deal, theybwould have told him. while son thinks he has done nothing wrong, ita very easy to be intimidated.</p>
<p>I have told everyone know to never say anything without a lawyer present. Ever if you are questioned. Ever. </p>
<p>The fact they are telling him nothing is odd.</p>
<p>As OP said, her son did not ask.
Can I ask why people think he should call to say he won’t be coming in, when OP suggested he has some communications issues? Isn’t this a case where that’s not optimum, he’s not the most able person to do that? My inclination is mom should call. </p>
<p>Shouldn’t Mom also verify if an attorney may be present? Or whether he may speak up? Isn’t this, in itself, reason to contact another part of the U, call the disabilities folks or a dean? For any clarification they can offer or any support they are mandated to provide?
(Apologies if this riles anyone; it’s related to what I know of Title IX- which may or may not extend to this sort of blind appointment. Not meant to start a tsunami. )</p>
<p>I think people are suggesting that the son call because they are hoping the police will provide some benign explanation for why they want to talk to him. It could happen, I suppose. But I think I’d get a lawyer, and let him call them.</p>
<p>You do NOT have to ASK if your attorney MAY be present. All people in the US the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to have their attorney present. PERIOD. I would have an attorney call them to cancel. I would then look into finding an attorney in your S’s area & provide that contact info for them to contact if they have questions or want to reach your S for any reason. Would NOT have your S talk with them at all.</p>