REDWOOD CITY ? Former Hillsdale High School student Alex Youshock, who looked pale and had a bandaged right arm when he appeared in court Wednesday, did not enter a plea to the list of felony charges against him stemming from a pipe bomb attack at the school.
Earlier in the day, the 17-year-old San Mateo resident was charged as an adult with eight felonies including attempted murder and he could face a lifetime prison sentence if convicted, a prosecutor said.
Youshock, who was behind a glass barrier, showed no emotion and provided one word responses to a series of questions from San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum during the arraignment.
Forcum recessed the hearing briefly after Youshock, responding to a question from the judge, said he had not read his constitutional rights. The arraignment continued after the 17-year-old read over his rights.
Youshock was tackled by a teacher after setting off two pipe bombs on the campus Monday during what police are calling a "cold-blood plan of execution." The bombs exploded in an empty hall way and no one was hurt. Youshock was also armed with a sword and chain saw.
It was not immediately clear how the young man hurt his arm.
Attorney Steve Shaimon represented Youshock during the hearing and asked the judge to forbid media cameras in the courtroom because it would prevent his client from getting a fair trial. Forcum denied the request.
"The public has a right to have access," he said.
Shaimon told the court he will not be representing Youshock as the case progresses and asked the court to put off plea entry. Forcum set a Sept. 3 court date to continue the arraignment.
Youshock's sister and mother attended the proceeding and ran from the courtroom pursued by reporters when it was over. They declined to make any comment.
Youshock was charged with two counts of premeditated attempted murder; two counts of explosion of a destructive device with the intent to commit murder; two counts of possession of a deadly weapon (a sword and a chain saw); possession of destructive devices in a public place and explosion of a destructive device in an act of terrorism.
Youshock also was charged with possession of an explosive device for the purpose of terrorizing others, a charge which has never been filed in San Mateo County, San Mateo Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
"Any 17-year-old who shows an intent to kill other human beings ? which was certainly the case here, there was an intent to kill many people ? has forfeited the right to be treated in our rehabilitative juvenile system and has to be dealt with in our adult system, where the purpose is punishment," Wagstaffe said.
"The concept of rehabilitation is truly a secondary interest here," Wagstaffe said. "Public protection is the No. 1 factor."
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