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Lawyers in San Jose, California are scrambling in an effort to find a solution that will appease everyone in a recent “fake” arrest. Attorneys for the local police department, the police officer, the “victim” and the city are meeting to determine if a police officer’s “staging” of an arrest went too far. “The legal repercussions could result in a really high price being paid”, said A. Harrison Barnes, lawyer and president of LegalAuthority.com. Here’s what happened:

A family reported a local police officer arrived at their home and announced he was there to arrest their teenage son for sexual assault. He then proceeded to handcuff the teen and instead of brining the 15 year old boy in, he instead gave him a stern warning and told him to stay away from his fourteen year old stepdaughter. The entire incident is caught on tape and while the police officer clearly kept his cool and followed procedure, the parents of the teen, realizing what was happening within a few minutes, are now crying “Foul!”, though more than a few are asking “Why now?”, especially since the parents played such an intricate role in the “scared straight” aspect. A. Harrison Barnes says the concerned parent/police officer could very well lose his job.

For all intents and purposes, it appears the lawyers will likely decide the outcome. While no one is questioning the officer’s concern and that he was taking drastic measures to protect not only his stepdaughter, but her young boyfriend as well. It’s not as though it was an 18 year old man, says Barnes. These kids are young and impressionable.

At first, the officer was working under the assumption that he had the parents’ permission and in fact, in the video, the boy’s father can be overheard as he attempted to tell him of the legal repercussions. Terry Bowman, a local attorney who’s representing the police officer, said, “The officer was essentially invited to use scared straight tactics and that there was no objection to either the lecture or handcuffs”, said Bowman.

At the heart of the matter, at least as far as the lawyers are concerned, is whether or not an abuse of power took place. The LegalAuthority.com founder says it’s less likely the officer will face criminal charges, such as false imprisonment; however, it is possible he will face suspension or some other repercussions that fall short of termination. No names have been released since doing so would reveal the minors identities as well.

Both teens were cited for having sex with a minor.

Just as the legalities play a role, public opinion is running the gamut as well. Many parents are rallying behind the police officer while there are others who insist the boy’s and his family’s Constitutional rights had been violated.

Perhaps most alarming is the age of these teens an the fact that their decisions are now being played out across every media outlet in the country.

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