(A) Purpose: The purpose of the Village of Beecher parental responsibility code section is based upon the following:
1. To compensate innocent victims of willful or malicious juvenile misconduct;
2. To place upon parents or legal guardians of minor children the obligation of control so as to prevent intentional harm to persons and property; and
3. Prevent parents or guardians from knowingly or negligently permitting or causing a student under the age of nineteen (19) to be truant.
(B) Definitions: For the purposes of this Section, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
1. "Legal guardian" means a person appointed guardian or given custody of a minor by a court, but it does not include a person appointed guardian or given custody of a minor under the Juvenile Court Act, as amended, in the State.
2. "Minor" means any person who has not yet attained the age of nineteen (19) years.
(C) Parental Responsibility: No parent or legal guardian of an unemancipated minor residing with such parent or legal guardian shall fail to exercise property parental responsibility by allowing or permitting a minor to commit any violation of Village Ordinances or State statutes concerning vandalism, battery, curfew, truancy, disorderly conduct, fireworks, obscene conduct, indecent exposure, trespass, or possession of alcoholic liquor, tobacco or tobacco products, vaping, electronics smoking devices, cannabis or controlled substances, or any other offense of willful or malicious acts to persons or property.
(D) Court Appearance: A parent or legal guardian of a minor shall be notified and required to appear in court whenever a minor is charged with a violation of this Section. A notice in substantially similar form as the following shall be sent to the parents or legal guardians of the minor:
LEGAL NOTICE
To: (Parents' or legal guardians' names)
From: Village of Beecher
You are hereby notified that (minor's name) ("minor") has been charged with an offence which is a violation of Village ordinances or State statute and which requires the appearance of the minor in Court. You are further notified that one of the parents or legal guardians of the minor must appear in Court with the minor before the case will be tried or be disposed. If you fail to appear, the Village Prosecutor has been directed to have a subpoena issued to bring you into Court. Failure to comply with a subpoena can result in contempt oof Court with a fine or imprisonment as a penalty.
The Village Prosecutor is hereby directed to have subpoenas issued whenever a parent or legal guardian of a minor does not appear in court.
(E) Restitution: The parent or legal guardian of an unemancipated minor who resides with such parent or legal guardian is liable for actual damages for the willful or malicious acts of such minor which causes injury to person or property. No court order for restitution under this Section may exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) actual damages in addition to court costs. (Ord. 1343, 2-8-2021)