Judge Jails Honor Student with Two Jobs for Missing School

Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Justice Lanny Moriarty
With no parents around and two siblings to support, 17-year-old high school student Diane Tran of Houston, Texas, has had to work two jobs while taking college prep classes. For all her work and dedication Tran recently found herself spending a night in jail after a local judge decided to make an example of her for missing school, due to exhaustion.
 
The 11th grade honor student from Willis High School admitted she sometimes shows up late to school or not at all. Tran said she can’t help it as she’s tried to juggle a full-time job, a part-time job, her advanced placement classes and helping support her older brother, who is a university student, and her younger sister.
 
Neither of Tran’s parents, who are divorced, is around.
 
Despite the tough situation confronting Tran, Judge Lanny Moriarty refused to go easy on the student after she wound up in his court for missing school. He sentenced her to spend 24 hours in jail and pay a $100 fine.
 
Moriarty explained his ruling by saying: “If you let one [truant student] run loose, what are you gonna’ do with the rest of ‘em? Let them go too?”
 
Moriarty spent most of his career in law enforcement, including 21 years with the Houston Police Department, before running for justice of the peace in 2002.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
To Learn More:

People Across the Country Offer Help to Honor Student Jailed for Truancy (KHOU.com) 

Comments

Red Ringbone 12 years ago
lanny, lanny, lanny. ethics violations. fines for illegal campaign payments. tsk tsk tsk. next election - kiss it goodbye. the eyes of the world are on you - and the voters . . . oh my. might as well resign and save yourself the humiliation of being fired.
eyedrd 12 years ago
instead of learning and understanding her living and family situation, the teachers, the school district, and the judge have failed her, failed to protect her. $75,000 raised and 211,000 online signatures collected. however, another door has opened to her thanks to the generosity of the americans and the people from other countries. houston defense attorney ned barnett on tuesday called the ruling “outrageous” and said “a little discretion should have been used” in the teenager’s case. “it doesn’t take much discretion to have sympathy for miss tran,” barnett said. “to lock her up is just outrageous.” barnett, who is not defending tran, said the girl likely spent her 24-hour jail sentence at montgomery county jail surrounded by suspected murderers, drug addicts and prostitutes. “it’s hard-core,” he said of the jail, noting that past clients whom he has defended described it as “the worst experience of their life.” worldwide outpouring support for diane tran against the outrageous sentence by judge lanny moriarty http://eyedrd.org/2012/05/worldwide-outpouring-...
Bob Wilson 12 years ago
i am close enough(conroe)to help form a posse to demand this jerk's ouster. how did this guy ever become a judge? does someone out there know how to go about it? he has brought shame on the state of texas.
Gary Robinson 12 years ago
lanny, to have the word justice in front of your name is a joke. a 24 hour stay in jail would be much more appropriate for you than this young lady. the worst part of it is to actually take 100 dollars from that household when money is the reason she missed school in the first place. moriarty, you can kiss my ass.
cparkeast 12 years ago
this judge has been fined for illegal campaign payment and ethics violation. who is he to uphold the law or judge others. get rid ofhim. twitter governor rick perry and shame him on taking action for diane. www.helpdiantran.com http://www.change.org/petitions/honor-student-jailed-for-missing-school-ask-the-judge-to-cancel-her-fine-and-sentencing
chuck mcconnaughey 12 years ago
the irony to this; you (piece of s---t) have spent most of your life in the public sector sponging on tax payers like this young lady, in the private sector, who is trying to pay her own way. if there is a god he must have something special lined up for you or just maybe,,,someone in the private sector will give you this something special you deserve, i'll be praying for it!!
Li-Na 12 years ago
are we in china?
Andrew 12 years ago
jail that judge and remove from his position.
outraged 12 years ago
this 17 year old has too much responsibility for her age. she should be preparing for the prom, graduation, college, and looking forward to it. instead she's helping her family with two jobs, one a fulltime one, and she's an honor student. one night in jail could make her give up. this judge's attitude could break her. she could decide to quit school. the judge is not an encourager. but i bet he doesn't break her spirit. i'm betting on her, she won't give up, she won't let that judge with all his "power" (that was the attitude i got from him) break her spirit.

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