re: #7 ggt
There are always situations that make for anecdotes supposedly proving a larger issue. Perhaps this is one. Perhaps the judge was an ass. Perhaps not all the information was presented initially.
Whatever the reason, truancy is a serious issue. It means we get an uneducated sub culture. It means that most truants are not working a job; they are stealing, partying or otherwise ruining any chances of employment, and what that means to the rest of us.
So far I have heard no suggestions from you on how to deal with it.