Cure Worse Than Crime

Why should an 11 year old crime victim be compelled to testify in a court case in a manner more punitive than the likely punishment his 13 year old assailant will face?

The 11-year-old boy was led from his school in handcuffs, held overnight in a juvenile detention center, and hauled into court in shackles and an orange prison jumpsuit.

His crime? Missing a court date to testify as the victim of an assault.

The Minnesota court and the county in which it is located is trying to make a point that the Indian tribe of which the 11 year old boy is a member is subject to its authority. It chose the wrong way to do so.