An Idaho prosecutor who actually issued an arrest warrant for a 9 year old accused of stealing a pack of gum, yes you read that right and should be outraged, has spoken out and said that it was a mistake. The boy was held in juvenile detention for 3 days as a result of the actions by Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh, and when the outrage started building he has admitted that issuing the arrest warrant for a 9 year old was a big mistake. McHugh told reporters that a child protection investigation should have been requested rather than issuing an arrest warrant for a child so young, but the damage has been done and the child was held in custody for three days.
An apology was issued by the Idaho prosecutor who issued the arrest warrant for a 9 year old. Barry McHugh issued a statement that read “I have concluded that my office’s request to have an arrest warrant issued was a mistake under the circumstances,” McHugh said in a statement filed after a weekend in which the boy’s arrest gained widespread attention. “I regret this having taken place and will do everything in my power to avoid this type of mistake in the future.” After the warrant was requested because the boy failed to appear in court after stealing the gum the warrant was authorized by
First District Court Judge Lansing Haynes. Post Falls Police Chief Scott Haug told the media that the 9 year old was taken into police custody on January 6, stating “He was not treated like an adult, and simply given a ride to the Juvenile Detention Center. No officer wants to do this. It’s unfortunate that it got to this point. Had we known (the missing court dates) was a transportation issue, we could have gotten the child a ride to court.”