WAY too much legal actions taking place. WAY too much legal repercussions for harmless pranks taking place as well. Society has gotten out of hand. Everybody is taking things to the extreme in fear of getting sued. As coach2709 said, kids lives are getting ruined for doing nothing more than a prank.
I agree, if the kid was caught cheating, he fails the test and leave it at that. Why should his life be ruined for one indiscretion? These kids stole a goat. I'm sure they would have brought the goat back afterwards. What the cop should have done is brought the kids back to the house they took the goat from, given the goat back and made the kids apologize. If they guy wanted to press charges, the cop should have talked him out of it, then made the parents of the kids come pick them up. Lesson learned, no one's life ruined. Ridiculous.
Every year around here, kids have what they call Junior-Senior wars. The kids basically go around rolling other kid's houses. My younger son and his friends had the cops called on them for doing this and they all got arrested. Spent almost 12 hours in jail waiting to get bailed out - for toilet papering someone's house!!!
This society is out of control in my opinion. It's one thing to receive consequences for actual criminal behavior, but another to have your life altered for simple adolescent pranks. Authorities are scared to use any common sense to discern between the two in fear that they will be sued. Come on people, grow a backbone and do the right thing. Quit worrying about being sued or being politically correct.