Question: Your Honor, my door was kicked in 2 days after Christmas and I was robbed of over $5000 worth of stuff. The police took fingerprints from a T.V. the crooks tried to steal and they came back belonging to a 17 and 18 year old who live in the neighborhood. The 17 yr old turned himself in but the 18 year old didn’t and now he has a warrant out for his arrest. I see them both in the neighborhood all the time! How do I go about getting my money since they sold or pawned everything they took? Do I go after the parents of the 17 year old?

The Judge’s Answer: You can sue the 17 year old AND the parents of the 17 year old. The parents liability may be limited to $5000. However, if you can show that the parents knew or should have known of the 17 years old’s dangerous proclivities and negligently supervised him, you may be able to recover all of your damages. You may also sue the 18 year old for the items he stole from you.