AboutBill Radvansky Expertise Questions of applying personal and ethical morality to everyday problems, decisions, and dealing with others. Questions regarding compromise and situational ethics and pragmatism.
Experience I am a High school teacher, preacher,counsellor, high school speaker, and am a retired police officer.
Publications I am currently writing a book which is due out late next year.
Education/Credentials Emmanuel Baptist Theological Seminary, Newington, CT
Western Penn. Theological Institute, New Kensington, PA
Pennsylvania State Police Academy
Past/Present Clients Federal and state prisons, High Schools, Homeless Missions, Veterans Center(268center.com)
Expert: Bill Radvansky Date: 7/4/2008 Subject: Your child and the law
Question Testifying against ones own child
Question My question is what do you think about parents who turn their children in for breaking the law? I have a friend who is sitting on death row, whose father actually testified against him. He and I have discussed this, and he says he understood why his father felt he had to turn him in. But I have a child, and I could NEVER do such a thing. I would rather die myself than to help the prosecutor kill my own child. Besides, I am also morally and ethically oppossed to the death penalty, so in doing so I would be taking part in something I believe to be wrong. What do you think?
Jessie
Answer Hi Jessie,
Thanking you for using AllExperts.com and for choosing me to address you very complex question. Some questions or situations that we face in life have very difficult answers. The situation that you described doesn’t seem to warrant much controversy in that both the Father and the son hold no animosity for the actions of the other. I believe that above all else as citizens of this great country, we have an obligation to do what’s right. If you have knowledge about a crime, including information on the perpetrator you have both a civic duty as well as a moral obligation to supply that information to the police.
Being that you state that you have strong moral and ethical beliefs, your described course of action would violate both. To allow your self to be executed, being innocent, in place of one who is guilty, allows capitol punishment to be carried out on an innocent person which is certainly unethical. This action would also guarantee that the one who has shown that he is capable of committing heinous enough crimes to warrant the death penalty, will go free to commit the same crimes on others. This is morally unacceptable. While you no doubt have strong feelings against the death penalty, you would not be aiding and abetting that action by simply supplying authorities with information that you possess concerning a crime or a fugitive. However, failing to reveal what you know could get you charged with obstruction of justice, hindrance of prosecution, and perjury.
Finally, some parents can see that if their children are allowed to continue on the path of crime and deceit that they are headed down, they will surely end up dead. Many times an arrest and stay in prison will bring them to their senses and result in a changed life. It must have been agonizing for that father to turn his son in to authorities, but perhaps it was a final attempt to save his life. It is not the prosecutor that would kill your child it would be the horror of the crime that he committed. I hope that this answer helps you to look at the issue with a different perspective. Thanks Bill
