Teen's truancy case results in time behind bars
WICHITA, Kansas -- Ashton Baker was 11 years old when her family took its last portrait together. Now, 15, her life is a long way from picture perfect.
Late last Friday night, police took her from her mother's home and placed her in the Sedgwick County Juvenile Detention Facility. She didn't see her mother again until Tuesday morning at her first court appearance.
"It's hard for me because I see my daughter in handcuffs and shackles for something she never did when you can see all these other criminals walking the streets on parole and probation," said Bambi Baker-Hazen, Ashton's mother.
It all started back in 2008 when administrators at Wilbur Middle School reported Ashton truant -- even though her mother says the school had a faxed notification from the state that she was home-schooling her.
The family's problems escalated when her father reported that she ran away when she went to her mother's house. The state placed Ashton in the Wichita Children's home where she spent 47 days before running away from there.
The case got national attention after Hazen refused to tell a judge where he daughter was.
"I said, 'Okay, handcuff me,' and they did," she said.
Hazen spent seven days in jail. Now, a year-and-a-half later, court documents show Ashton is being held on those original truancy charges.
Baker says since her daughter has a history of running, she is remaining in custody.
"This is injustice at its best," Hazen said.
But victims' advocates question Ashton's treatment.
"We have a right to speak out and when our rights are taken away, because we speak justice and we're concerned about our family and then this level of retaliation is allowed," said Juanita Blackmon with Justice Keepers of Wichita.
A spokesperson for Sedgwick County says the restraints are standard procedure, and even though Ashton's mother has made the case public, they don't feel it's in the best interest of the child to comment.
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