Come to hear a sugarcoated version of reality?
Forget about it.
Hoping for a little fluff, at least?
Not a chance.
‘This is going to be a very direct, very blunt, very real, very accurate conversation,? said 52-3 District Court Judge Lisa Asadoorian as she began a presentation for some 180 parents, students and others gathered at Lake Orion High School last week. ‘I’m not here to sugarcoat anything and I’m not here to waste your time.?
While energetic and punctuated with humor, Asadoorian’s hour-long talk focused on the choices that land people in her courtroom’and the consequences.
Rampant on the docket, she said, are cases that often result in thousands of dollars in legal fees, lost scholarships, jail time or worse. Many involve drugs, alcohol, and varying degrees of sex-related offenses.
‘There’s a new game in town, and it’s called sexting,? Asadoorian said, explaining the term’a blend of ‘sex? and ‘texting?’refers to the taking and sending of sexually explicit photos of oneself via cell phone.
In Michigan, dissemination and possession of child pornography is a felony.
‘And ‘child,? in the state of Michigan, is defined as anyone under the age of 18,? Asadoorian said. ‘So if you’re taking (an unclothed) picture and sending it to someone else, you’ve just disseminated child pornography.?
She also spoke to the audience about teen sex, and the legal’as well as practical ramifications.
In Michigan, she said, sex with a person under the age of 13 is a capital offense, which can result in a life sentence for the offender. Furthermore, intercourse with someone between the ages of 14 and 16 is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
‘When a 16 or 17 year-old person takes the 15-year-old person to prom, and they’re getting along great, and the young lady’s in love’you cannot consent,? she said. ‘That’s a felony. It’s a prison sentence, and your name on the sex offender registry, in some cases. Michigan law is very harsh about all that.?
If it comes to that, she said, the outlook is grim.
‘You’re ruined,? she said. ‘You’re destroyed. Who’s going to hire a rapist? Ruined.?
Asadoorian, who told the crowd she decided when she was 10 years old she wanted to be a judge’or a Charlie’s Angel’that parents frequently plead their child’s case with her.
But, she noted, that energy could have been better spent before the offender landed in the courtroom.
‘None of you will prevent me from upholding my oath,? she said. ‘Don’t come to me to clean up the mess you’ve made. Don’t beg on your children’s behalf and say ‘but judge, he’s captain of the baseball team,? or ‘judge, she’s an honor roll student.? All I know is what’s on my file.?
Asadoorian also sent a strong message to parents about issues like providing alcohol to a minor, Even in the family’s own home, she said, it’s a crime and she’s sent parents to jail for doing it.
It’s also a good idea, she said, for parents to develop an open network of communication with other parents in the community.
‘If your child will not give you the name, your antenna go up,? she said. ‘No other parents should be offended if you make a call out of the blue.?
Asadoorian admitted she takes a harsh stand on crime, but said she does it understanding her role in the community is to help keep kids safe.
In her courtroom, she asks for, and expects the truth, often asking kids at what age they started drinking.
‘Eleven,? she said. ‘I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard it. 11.?
On the street, she told parents, drugs are readily available.
‘You can get marijuana like you can get water,? she said. ‘Kids have said ‘give me $50 and 30 minutes and I can get anything you want.??
It’s dangerous; in previous generations, parents tried to keep their children in line.
‘Nowadays, you’re trying to keep them alive and it’s a thankless job,? she said. ‘They’re not going to thank you. Kids want and need love, and they want and need discipline. But they’re never going to admit that.?
Too often, Asadoorian said later, she sees parents who had no idea their child was using drugs. Sometimes the first disclosure is right there in the courtroom.
‘Good grades is not the equivalent of a law-abiding citizen,? she said. ‘Athletic prowess is not the equivalent of a law-abiding citizen.?
In fact, she said, stereotyping those likely to abuse drugs based age, gender, the size or income level of the home or whether a child comes from a single or two parent home is not valid
‘Lake Orion has great schools and great law enforcement,? she said. ‘But it’s Anytown, USA.?