17-Year-Old Girl Jailed for Nearly Three Weeks for Fighting on School Bus

Something is seriously wrong here.

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In a troubling new report published by INDY Week, the North Carolina paper raised concerns about a Raleigh 17-year-old who has been in police custody since March 7 following a minor disturbance on a school bus. 

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Though it seems like three weeks should be considered an unjustly long punishment, Garcia remains in custody due to a bizarre legal technicality. 

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An added irony to the case is that North Carolina treats 16 and 17-year-olds as adults, without the option to try them as juveniles. When she appears in court this week, she'll face charges of assault and battery. 

The paper went on to interview Garcia, who is trying to stay upbeat despite her situation. Garcia is an aspiring singer, who says jail is difficult because she doesn't have music around her for support. "It's just hard," she says. "But it's definitely not breaking me." Garcia and her attorney decided to make her name public, even though she is a minor, in order to raise awareness about her case. "I'm behind bars," says Garcia. "But my voice is still out there."

[via Indy Week]

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