Teen thief mocks judge, thinking he's untouchable—until his own mother intervenes

Asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, Ryan leaned into the microphone. "Yes, Your Honor," he said sarcastically. "I think I'll be back here next month anyway. There's nothing you can do to me. Juvenile detention? Please. It's like summer camp with locks."

Whitmore clenched his jaw. He'd seen arrogance before, but Ryan's cocky confidence was terrifying—a blatant mockery of the law itself. The prosecutor shook her head. Even Ryan's public defender looked embarrassed.

"Mr. Cooper," Judge Whitmore said firmly, "you think the law is a game. You think your age protects you from the consequences. But I assure you, you are standing on the edge of a precipice."

Ryan shrugged. “Cliffs don’t scare me.”