Hedgepeth v. Washington Metro. Area Transit Auth.

• Position: CIVIL RIGHTS - Brief Article

U.S. Appeals Court

EQUAL PROTECTION

JUVENILES

Hedgepeth v. Washington Metro. Area Transit Auth., 386 F.3d 1148 (D.C.Cir. 2004). The mother of a 12-year-old who was arrested and detained for eating a french fry in a rail transit station brought a [section] 1983 action. The district court ruled in favor of the defendants and the mother appealed. The appeals court affirmed, finding that the city's "no-citation" policy for juveniles was rationally related to the legitimate goal of promoting parental awareness and involvement with children who commit delinquent acts. The court held that the policy did not violate equal protection, even though adults who were seen eating food in transit authority facilities would merely have been given a citation. According to the court, classifications based on youth, like those based on age in general, do not trigger heightened scrutiny for...