By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com
It was a little more extreme than Ferris Bueller's day off.
Prosecutors say a Sacramento area man was convicted Friday of contributing to the delinquency of a minor by allowing his son to skip school dozens of times.
District Attorney Jan Scully said in a news release that a jury convicted Dino Otto after "an extremely long history of neglecting his obligation as a parent to make sure his child attended school."
During the 2007-08 school year, Otto's son had 34 unexcused absences, leading to a school attendance review board hearing, Scully's office said. The hearing led to Otto signing a contract agreeing to "ensure his son attend school," Scully's office said.
The result?
The kid missed school another 30 times between September 2008 and March 2009, Scully's office said.
The child and his school were not named, but online court records illustrate what a lengthy process ensued as a result of the class cutting.
The first court hearing in the case was Aug. 11, 2009, and over the course of the next 21 months 50 court sessions were scheduled.
The 51st is scheduled to be June 17 at 1:30 p.m., when Otto is to be sentenced.
Scully's office has targeted parents in extreme truancy cases for years, noting that the costs of students missing school are high both for the student and society in general.
She has noted that her office will prosecute in "extreme cases."
"Otto's neglect of his parental obligation warranted criminal prosecution," Scully said in her release.
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