Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

THE FIVE Kingston Technical High School students who appeared on assault charges in the Kingston Family Court last week had better do their homework - or else they'll be locked up.

As part of the unusual conditions of bail handed down by the court, they have each been ordered to join a library, read a book each week, and submit a book review each Friday to their attorney-at-law Alando Terrelonge, until their cases have been disposed.

Terrelonge said the bail conditions were imposed to give the juveniles (all under the age of 17 years) ways and means of finding something constructive to do during their spare time and to keep them out of trouble.

Nine students from the school are before the courts. Four appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court last week Friday and were remanded until April 13. The four were taken to that court because they are all over the age of 17.

Two of the five students before the Family Court are charged with assaulting a female teacher who complained that the boys made sexual advances on her; two are charged with assaulting a male teacher and the fifth is charged with assaulting another student during a fight.

Juvenile centres overcrowded

When the five students, ages 15 and 16 years, first appeared before the Family Court last week Wednesday, their station bail was revoked and they were remanded until the next court date. The boys spent the night in the holding area at the Central Police Station, located on East Queen Street, downtown Kingston, a few blocks from their school. Kingston Technical is situated at the corner of Hanover and Beeston streets.

Terrelonge applied to the court last week Thursday for the boys to be taken back to court and for the RM to reconsider her decision. In making the bail application, he told Resident Magistrate Prima Griffiths that the boys had to spend the night in the holding area of the police station because the juvenile detention centres were overcrowded. The attorney argued that it was unlawful for the boys to have been detained at an adult holding area.

The RM, in granting them bail, ordered that they must be at home by 7:00 p.m. each day and that they must be accompanied by their parents after such time on the streets.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com