Is it a term for whether or not the victim is cooperative?

Dude, you so don't get to ask that question. You need to be answering it.

I would have gotten my ass so whupped if I'd been her that I'd just have stood there and taken the balloon attack (while trying desperately to devise something less brutal in retribution).

Again, I don't think it's felonious, but it just wasn't right.

Also not right : "Steve, don't eat it!"

Even older kids can be shockingly short-sighted. A friend's little brother went to the ER for many stitches after a bike accident, which it turns out was caused by five boys (my two brothers and and him and his 2 brothers) inventing a game. The game went like this: they each took turns riding a bike as fast as they could on a gravel driveway, while the rest of the boys threw rocks at the spokes of the wheels to stop him. The oldest boy in this scenario was 14 and the youngest 10.

A defense attorney could still have fun with the fact that Water Balloon Boy attacked her first (and, AFAWeK, without provocation). Consequences for escalation, yes. But consequences for Water Balloon Boy, too.

And felony convictions for neither. Nobody seems to have the equities here.

I don't click ita links that are at a website with the words "the" and "sneeze" in the url, and "Steve don't eat it."

In this case, was I wise?

Yeah, this story has other elements to it for sure. I mean, a felony? WTF?

Again, I don't think it's felonious, but it just wasn't right.

I agree. I think the police should've let the parents handle it, and only gotten involved if one set of parents balked.

The girl is 11, she was with her 6 yr old brother.

The felony charge is assualt with a deadly weapon.

According to this yahoo article they came to an agreement:

[link]

In the article it says the mayor and police chief agreed that it was an appropriate charge.

no, it means that the victim intitates the legal proceeding. there are certain cases when the victim does not have to.

Like which? Does it just mean, say, reporting a rape?

Dude, you so don't get to ask that question. You need to be answering it.

*shrug*

This is why I don't understand. I just don't know, given that the state prosecutes all crimes, where "pressing charges" comes in.

Even older kids can be shockingly short-sighted

Adults can be shockingly short-sighted too (cf Jackass, Fear Factor, life). But there are points at which you figure they've been presented with enough information and have the wiring that they could be expected to get 4 from 2+2.

According to another article I read (which I need to get a bugmenot login because it was already linked logged in when I read it), the girl speaks limited English, the police were speaking English, not Spanish and they Mirandized her in English, not Spanish.

Her mother, evidentally does not speak English and didn't know what was going on.