I also picked that up -- "got into a car with a bunch of other friends" sounds like there is a distinct possibility that she was, at worst, considered an accessory to the crime, not one of the people directly involved. I thought that language was very interesting, too.

(Also, depending on her financial situation and race, getting pressured to plead to SOMETHING when you're innocent, have inadequate representation, or can't face indefinite pretrial detention because you can't afford cash bail, is a major problem with our justice system.)

Is it possible that she was in on the plan? Absolutely -- but the word choice, along with the infantilization of the daughter and the "she was such a perfect child" and the girlfriend having a "rough home life" and friends being a "bad influence" really rubs me wrong, as does the conflation of swearing and bad manners with an actual crime.

I feel like there's some missing information and a very slanted presentation going on here -- even if the mother does have major LEGITIMATE concerns about her daughter's girlfriend (I would also be upset if my kid's partner was involved in a crime!), she's undermining them by inserting the prissiness about swearing and other incredibly minor teenage issues.