WHITEHOUSE – As an attorney who handles criminal defense cases, Bruce Boerst Jr. has seen how one bad decision can derail a young person’s life plans.
Whether it’s drunk driving, sexting, drug possession or theft, the outcome – in terms of penalties – is much more severe for an 18-year-old than for those 17 or younger.
“Before 18, any kind of trouble you get into, you get a slap on the wrist. A prank at school or small theft at a carryout, or eating at a restaurant and running out without paying…the consequence is often that your parents show up at court, you write an apology letter and do community service. Your juvenile record is sealed. Future colleges and employers don’t have access to that,” Boerst shared during an “18 and the Law” presentation for Anthony Wayne High School seniors on Jan. 28.
“When you turn 18 and make a poor choice, it’s on your criminal record and it’s there forever. Before you do anything, ask yourself, ‘Is this something I will be explaining to a future employer? To my kids?'”
In his office, Boerst said he sees a lot of alcohol or minor drug charges. For those who are 18, a felony can jam up a future career, and bars opportunities such as federal grants or scholarships, he said.
“I see young adults truly destroying their futures,” Boerst said. “No one sets out for the night and expects to get a DUI or cause an accident or harm someone else.”
He spoke about representing a young man who was home from college and, after attending a party, drove the wrong way on the highway and hit a vehicle, killing a family of five.
“He will be in prison for the rest of his life. He was a great kid from a great family – no criminal history and not a big drinker. His life changed in an instant,” Boerst said. “Young adults don’t do well in prison. Those folks in prison, especially those lifers…they prey on you.”
Social media threats are, by far, the most common cases he sees in adults under the age of 25. He also sees the impact of sexting. In one case, a couple that had been dating for a long time ran into trouble when the boy turned 18. The girl’s father found graphic images sent from the male on her phone, and reported him to the police. While he didn’t receive jail time, the young man now has to register as a Tier II sex offender every six months for 25 years. He can’t live in a dorm or within 500 feet of a school, church or playground.
Often teens think they can delete information from their phones and it’s gone, Boerst said. Law enforcement has methods of extracting metadata, even information that scrubbing programs purport to erase. Burning, smashing the hard drive – those might work – but anything shared on social media is accessible forever. Even Snapchat, presented with a subpoena, can produce files that users often think are gone.
While the law becomes more strict, turning 18 also provides some other rights: to vote, sign contracts, serve on a jury, join the military, get married, sue or be sued, apply for a credit card and write a will.
“You still can’t buy or consume alcohol or marijuana,” he said. “And you can’t rent a car.”
While Boerst focused on the legal aspects of becoming 18, he also shared a story of how a local ice hockey player’s decision to bully a classmate stymied his dream of joining the NHL. When an offer was on the table, fans learned of the player’s history of bullying through social media and lobbied the team to turn him down.
“It stayed with him his whole life because of that one action, even though he was young,” said 17-year-old senior Nawres Abdulsamad after the presentation. “If you do something before you’re 18, it wouldn’t show on your record, but that small action still affected his reputation.”
Abdulsamad and senior Alina Stretavski both describe themselves as good students who haven’t been in trouble.
“But hearing some of the situations…oh. I’m never in trouble, but when I’m 18, I’m going to be more careful,” Stretavski said.
Boerst’s presentation is part of an ongoing Adulting 101 series hosted by the high school over the past five years, said Assistant Principal Stephanie Buckenmeyer. The topics range from finances, branding and maintaining friendships post-high school to developing healthy habits and personal safety.
“Our goal is to provide students with information that will help them become future ready,” she said.
