aitah for considerinf leaving my son in the county jail hospital over the weekend instead of paying $9,500.00 in bail?

[u/ShowerElectrical9342]

My son hit a pregnant woman with his vehicle and broke his nose and has stitches on his lip.

He was arrested and is in the county jail hospital. He wouldn't tell me how badly injured the woman is, except that she might lose the baby.

He's a careless, distracted driver who has totalled 2 cars, which his bio dad immediately replaced with even better cars!

But now his bio dad is gone (heart attack) and I don't want to enable this dangerous driving problem.

I'm overwhelmed.

He has had accidents before, and has always been bailed out.

I'm trying to get a regular lawyer because now he says she might lose the baby and sue him.

He's 19.

But no one wants me to take the time to get a regular lawyer instead of this public defender who insists I must send the bail money NOW or my son will be in jail all weekend.

Honestly, I don't know. Maybe that would be good for him. Like a wakeup call.

He didn't mention alcohol, but why else would he he arrested for a car accident?

Help! I have to move fast!

AITAH for even thinking about letting him spend a weekend in jail?

[u/bawtatron2000]

NTA - sounds like he needs a lesson, don't pay $$ for his bio father's mistakes.

[u/STUNTPENlS → u/bawtatron2000]

Let him rot in county lockup.

If the baby dies, in some states, he could be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

[u/Odd-Artist-2595 → u/STUNTPENlS]

And, if he takes off, your bail money is gone. He’s an adult. You can’t stop him if he decides to go. A weekend in jail isn’t going to hurt him in the slightest. In fact, it might do him some good. Besides, if he does get tried and sentenced to jail, the time he spends in this weekend will probably be counted toward time served. He’ll get out two days early.

[u/Corfiz74 → u/Odd-Artist-2595]

I think that depends on the jail. I once read a harrowing newspaper article about a dad who got the bail call from his son on a Saturday night, for a drunk and disorderly. He thought a weekend in jail would be good consequences for his son and left him there - and whatever happened to the son in jail was so horrible that he hanged himself as soon as he got out. I'm normally all for natural consequences, but that story really stuck with me, cause the dad had to live with that regret.