I am sorry to hear about D19's legal troubles. Let's hope the prosecutor, state's attorney, deputy district attorney, or whatever they are called in Boston has a good head on their shoulders and can discern a righteous case from a non-righteous one. From my perspective (btw, I am a prosecutor), your daughter's situation should be easy to untangle and the case dismissed. Unfortunately, you might have to wade through the process a little bit before it gets to that point.
As for dating, well, I can't offer you any words of wisdom on that one since I'm not there yet. So, for what it's worth, if all you want to do is dip your toe in to see how the water feels, I can't see how it could hurt. Maybe my view is to simplistic and not taking into account all the issues surrounding being a LBS, but a date is just a date. It's nothing more.
The events of the last eight months have been horribly unfair. I wish I could take you out for a pedicure and some drinks (and if you can't drink alcohol, then some good food instead). Please take care of yourself.
