What do state or federal laws say regarding the rights of a minor when placed into a treatment program against his or her will? I was told repeatedly during my intake that I had no say in my predicament. I was a minor, they said, and could be confined in any program without my consent for any duration simply if my parents wanted it to be that way, regardless of whether or not I signed the paper. When I told them what they could do with their paper, they said it didn't matter because they would simply contact a judge and have me court-ordered into the program. They said it would be as easy as a phone call and that my parents didn't even have to give their consent.
Can anyone confirm or refute these assertions? I?m aware that legal nuances may not lend to easy answers, but I'd love to acquire even a slightly better understanding of this issue. Also, does anyone know for a fact what I signed? I never looked at the paper, just scribbled a signature and then asked for a final cigarette before going to my fate. Request denied.
