ran away but now 18

hey i ran away when i was 16 and now im 18 i was a very bad teenager ran away constiantly and all that now that im 18 can i face charges or now that im 18 im free? or do i gota go infront of the judge? im reunited with my mother and we are curious im from...please let me know thank you!

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Re: ran away but now 18

Hello,
Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Switchboard. We empathize with your difficult situation and hope we could help in some way. It sounds like you had your reasons why you had to run when you were younger so you do not have to be so hard on yourself at this point. For whatever reason you ran away and want answers to certain question, we are hear to help answer those questions we are qualified to answer but we cannot answer question of a legal nature. We do advise that you call your local police to see whether or not you still have a status as a runaway youth if a report was filed on you by parents or relatives. Some questions to ask the police when you call is whether or not the report becomes void after a certain point and what is the status of such a report once you reach adulthood. Find out at what age do you become an adult in your area? It varies from state to state with the laws on age of majority. So it is best that you ask around at what age can a youth leave home without their parent's permission. You do have to understand that while it is not a crime to runaway you do recieve the status of "runaway youth" until a certain age but that status sometimes stay with you until you do return home. It is usually the responsibilty of the person that filed to take you off when they are aware of your safety. It was noted earlier that it is not a crime to runaway, so it is not like the person you are staying with is aiding a fugitive. If you are picked up by the police when you runaway and if you are a minor, it is the duty of the police to detain you until your parents pick you up. If you did get involve with some other crime during that time the police could hold you for that act but for the most part you are expected to be taken back home when the police find you. However, if you were staying with someone during the time you ran away and your parents became aware of this person's intentions and filed a report later, it is the right of your parents to bring charges against the person your were staying with for harboring a runaway. You do want to protect yourself and the other people looking out for your interest in the process. You only have to face a judge if you did commit a crime when you were on the run, like shoplifting etc. Did your mother ever had full or joint custody of you? At this point it probably doesn't matter since you are at the general age of majority. Did you felt unsafe at home and if this was the reason you ran away then, it is simply taking the right actions to figure out what your mother could do to get rights of you. However, if the age of majority in your area is 18 then you are no longer considered a runaway since that makes you an adult and you could live with whoever you desire. However, it is best to check if you had a status as a runaway with your local police or call some local legal services in your area to ask more legal questions. It depends on the county you are in and what they do with runaway situations. Some county may only want to know that you are okay and safe and that you want to stay with the person you are with and may not take further action. However, you are welcomed to call legal services in your area at 1800-467-2193 to find out. This is the only number we are allowed to give you since we want to keep your information confidential and it is free to call this number also. However, if you do have other questions and feel you need someone to talk to about this issue you are welcome to call us here at 1800-Runaway. We are here 24hr/day and look for forward to hearing from you. We hope that you figure out the best options for you and wish you luck.

Sincerely,

NRS