Yeah, I say definitely press charges. Talking it out would be OK with me if the item had been a lot less valuable (say 10x less), but not for something as valuable as an iPhone. I assume those are password protected (??) but if not they could have gotten access to personal information, too. The scenario in the OP is thug behavior.
Re; the iPhone;
if the iPhone is stolen, and you have a MobileMe account and have “Find my iPhone” enabled on your phone, you can;
1; track where the phone is, using the iPhone’s GPS chipset
2; lock the iPhone with a passcode
3; set the iPhone to play an annoying sound (mainly to help you find a misplaced iPhone at work/home)
4; send a message for the iPhone to display (I.E. “Return my bloody iPhone you $%^&* Punks!”)
5; remote-wipe the iPhone, either right away, or after ten failed passcode attempts
I think they should also add another featureset to the next-gen iPhone (4G?)
the “MagnaVolt” security system
Remotely-detonated Exploding Lithium-Ion Battery Pack
Remotely-triggered Cyanide Gas capsule
you choose which one to use, MagnaVolt would probably be the “cleanest” choice, ELIBP would be the most satisfying, but would cause a lot of damage to the iPhone that wouldn’t be covered by Apple’s limited warranty…
This is the reason we have police. We live in a society of laws. Now, maybe these kids deserve a break, being young and all, but that’s the reason we have courts and judges. Your role here, as a member of society, is to press charges. It’s now the job of the police, the courts, and the juvenile detention system to sit down and have a talk with these kids, and whatever else is necessary.
In other words, of course you should press charges. Why shouldn’t you?
I’m not actually ‘gradually’ coming to that realization, but I will be calling the Police tomorrow. But first, I will sleep. And in the morning, I will hurt. In addition to the laws broken, that another reason I’m changing my mind.
Here’s what went through my mind when I was caught doing something wrong, lectured about how wrong it was, but not punished:
“Yes! I got away with it.”
Press charges. Why is this even a discussion?
I think declining to press charges is fine. Pressing charges might well be better, but for all we know it may not, and it’s hard (for me) to fault erring on the side of mercy. Either choice will teach the kids a lesson, and each lesson has its potential upsides and downsides.
I don’t know, there’s a good chance I’d make the same choice that you did. It’s a close decision, and enmity begets enmity.
I voted yes on press charges.
I also vote that, if you’re going to have a poll, you should have a much, much shorter OP.
I also, also vote, that you need to be a little less careless about your surroundings when you’re on public transport. Like not leaving $600 phones where any jackass can grab and dash with it. Sad but true.
Yeah, and the choice of not pressing charges teaches them to be quicker next time.
Not pressing charges under the circumstances runs the risk, to me, of emboldening them. “We got caught and we still got away with it! We’re so awesome!” That’s not a lesson to give. Throw the book. Let it land where it lands. Whatever they get, they deserve.
Bust em.
I work in Youth Diversion for teens who’ve been busted doing just this sort of thing. Most cities have this. They will most like be assigned some amount of community service hours (around 20 hrs in my city), unless they have a record already. 90% who go through youth diversion will not re-offend. I see no down side in pressing charges, and by doing so, you will at least inconvenience them, and make sure their parents deal with it, as they will have to pay the minor costs involved. If you don’t, they will have a free ride and will remember the free ride the next time they see an iPhone they want. It’s iffy whether or not the talk you gave them and the scare they had will translate into reform. But the fact that the kid confessed shows that they’re not really fully invested in this life of crime yet. They’ll probably end up doing volunteer work at a community center, food bank, or church, if all goes well.
If you’re curious, you can call the prosecutor’s office and find out what the protocol will be in this situation.
And congratulations on a better-than-expected outcome. Hope you heal up soon.
The only reason you got your stuff back was because they were caught. If they weren’t caught, they would’ve gotten away and seen this as a positive experience. They wouldn’t have “learned” anything, and I use that term loosely as even you said that they probably didn’t listen to what you said to them, even after being caught.
I think this:
and this:
Mirror my strongest feelings on this, this morning. I’m a little sore. Tender knee, it’s a pain to shampoo your head with one hand. (It’ll heal fine), but the general ‘consequences for you actions’ aspect of this is what’s speaking strongest to me after a night’s sleep.
I am a juvenile defense attorney.
These kids’ parents do not give a shit about them. This is why they do the things they do. Very rarely do I represent kids whose parents truly care about them. These are kids who were raised by a television and their friends out on the street, while their parents continue to live their lives as if they have no kids at all. They’re not getting a talking-to by their folks when they get home. Half the times, their folks are the ones putting them up to doing this in the first place.
So if you were hoping for parental intervention with these kids, you’re not getting it.
I can’t wrap my head around the mindset of “don’t press charges/let them go”, a crime was committed (theft/mugging), the OP was injured in attempting to recover his personal property, yet some think that “turning the other cheek” or “giving them a good talking-to” would suffice to make them see the error of their ways?
Sorry, can’t wrap my head around that idea, a crime was committed, the perpetrators must be punished, no exceptions
Unintentionally Blank, glad to hear you’re feeling a bit better, now go nail 'em to the wall, I have a staple gun you can borrow if you need it… 
A little time in prison/Juvie would do these miscreants a world of good, at the very least have them undergo one of those “Scared Straight” encounters…
“Dumb and stupid” is getting caught trying to unscrew the fiber glass Ronald McDonald from the bench in front of McD’s so you can set him up on your high school bleachers as a prank. You were mugged. That’s not “dumb and stupid”. I’d press charges.
I voted Something else.
You should go down to “the School up the line that’s already kind of the last chance stop for them.” Volunteer to become their basketball coach (hey, you’re a tall white guy). Through a series of situations (perhaps occurring weekly), teach them to respect themselves and others on the way to the state championship.
Could you grab the phone out of someone’s hand and make a run for it? Of course not, because you’re not a criminal. These kids are criminals. Treat them as such.
And make sure to bring a mix CD of '80s ballads, for the montage.