PRINCETON (WVVA)-- Justice Robin Davis was on hand to sign the order, to give the Circuit Courts of Mercer County's plan on truancy in motion.
"You have three great Circuit Court Judges in Mercer County," said Justice Davis. "They are working really, really hard to implement this program to get our children in schools."
According to Judge Omar Aboulhosn, 47% of students in Mercer County last year were truant. And now when those students become truant, they will have to face a judge.
If the truant student is in the 5th grade or lower, it will fall under child neglect and the parent or parents will have to face punishment.
"In Kanawha Judge Duke Bloom jailed a parent who had four kids that have each missed three days of school so the parent is spending 12 days in jail," said Justice Davis.
But Judge Aboulhosn says that the point of the courts getting involved with the schools on truancy, is not to punish students or parents.
"This really isn't about punishment as much as it is about providing the services to help the students, to help the families, to get these kids in school and make sure they are productive adults."
