Prank may lead to years in prison

[NoStateofMind]

Rushville teen facing felony charges over prank

RUSHVILLE - A high school senior accused in a senior prank faced a judge Thursday.

The planned prank blew up in the face of 18-year-old Rushville High school Senior Tyell Morton, who is jailed and facing serious criminal charges.

"It's not right. It was a senior prank. They're blowing it out of proportion. I didn't hurt anybody, I didn't intend to embarrass anybody. What did I do wrong, you know?" Morton said Thursday.

Morton was arrested Tuesday after school surveillance cameras captured a picture of a man dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and wearing latex gloves, concealing a package and leaving without it. Believing it contained explosives, the school was evacuated and the Indiana State Police bomb squad was called in. It turns out that the package contained a blow-up doll placed in the girls' restroom. Police say that Morton admitted putting it there as a prank.

He's now charged with felony criminal mischief for a hoax that the teen's family says doesn't rise to the level of criminal charges.

Just let the kid go. Don't ruin his life over something as silly as this. Overreact much?

 

[Tristicus]

Lame...

 

[FerrelGeek]

Zero tolerance means you can get away with exercising zero intelligence.

That being said, I can see a misdemeanor charge. That would make a point that it was a stupid thing to do without ruining the rest of the kid's life.

 

[PokerGuy]

Common sense is just not that common anymore. Sure, what he did was wrong, but the potential punishment is completely out of whack, would ruin his life and not accomplish anything positive for anyone.

Sheesh.

 

[PottedMeat]

Believing it contained explosives, the school was evacuated and the Indiana State Police bomb squad was called in. It turns out that the package contained a blow-up doll placed in the girls' restroom.

i'm trying to figure out how the prank was supposed to be funny...



just make him pay for the bomb squad to come by or jail and a felony -> then negotiate it down to a thousand or two and a misdemeanor or community service or some shit


oh and make him explain how the prank was supposed to go down

 

[SpatiallyAware]

You are not allowed to make decisions for yourself.


You are not allowed to think for yourself.


Do not deviate or you will face punishment.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

this is what we asked for.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

The US has less than 5 percent of the world’s population but it has almost a quarter of the world’s prisoners.

 

[actuarial]

just make him pay for the bomb squad to come by or jail and a felony -> then negotiate it down to a thousand or two and a misdemeanor or community service or some shit

He shouldn't pay for the freaking bomb squad either. If you want to overreact to everyone looking suspicious who's carrying a 'package' then be my guest, but the kid shouldn't pay for your paranoia.

Can you tell someone is wearing latex gloves from a security picture?

 

[Exterous]

I am torn. The school HAS to respond to something like this the way they did or risk losing their job/endless lawsuits. At the same time there does not seem to be any intent to cause a bomb scare.

I don't know - maybe make him pay some or all of the costs associated with his prank and maybe a day or two in jail (certainly nothing on a felony scale)

 

[Exterous]

You are not allowed to make decisions for yourself.


You are not allowed to think for yourself.


Do not deviate or you will face punishment.

He shouldn't pay for the freaking bomb squad either. If you want to overreact to everyone looking suspicious who's carrying a 'package' then be my guest, but the kid shouldn't pay for your paranoia.

Can you tell someone is wearing latex gloves from a security picture?

Hey - the schools are just trying to protect themselves from lawsuit happy parents.

 

[PottedMeat]

He shouldn't pay for the freaking bomb squad either.

if the school has any sense at all he won't. don't they just charge him with the worst charges possible then negotiate it down so there won't be a trial?

 

[Jaskalas]

The only crime here is the government.

 

[rudder]

I am torn. The school HAS to respond to something like this the way they did or risk losing their job/endless lawsuits. At the same time there does not seem to be any intent to cause a bomb scare.

I don't know - maybe make him pay some or all of the costs associated with his prank and maybe a day or two in jail (certainly nothing on a felony scale)

make him paint all the classrooms over the summer. but you are right the school has to do something.. but they need to understand it was a prank.

 

[Exterous]

make him paint all the classrooms over the summer. but you are right the school has to do something.. but they need to understand it was a prank.

How are you going to negotiate that with the school's maintenance union?

 

[actuarial]

Hey - the schools are just trying to protect themselves from lawsuit happy parents.

I know what the school has to do, and those same lawsuit happy parents can pay for that through increased property taxes.

 

[Schadenfroh]

This is how Bush and Obama have come to protect you, local governments are experiencing the same level of protection via "trickle down."

Also, they are covering their asses, they do not want lawsuits from angry parents that feel they are lax on security.

 

[dabuddha]

Let the kid go but make him pay for the police having to show up.

 

[Macamus Prime]

With school shootings, something like this is taken serious.

You have to be pretty fucking stupid to think mimicing something the clearly resembles placing a bomb on school property is NOT an issue.

American parents have turned their backs on their children. Said children run wild and parents then scream how the school needs to properly protect other children - this is what is now happening.

Yes, it's a prank, but it VERY clearly and closely resembles an actual attack. Throw the book at this asshole. I was under the impression every one clearly knows to avoid anything that resembles Columbian or terrorists like behavior and actions.

For fuck's sake - gloves and a hoodie?!?

 

[chucky2]

How are you going to negotiate that with the school's maintenance union?

Oh that's easy, you have one of them supervise him painting the classrooms. Full pay, no work, definitely sounds Union'ish to me...

 

[IGBT]

18 years old. With all that's going on and has gone on with schools you can bet the DA will aggressively pursue and throw the book at this legal adult. Behavior matters. Polite society is long gone.

 

[her209]

i'm trying to figure out how the prank was supposed to be funny...

And how was the prank supposed to go?

Girls find suspicious package in the girl's restroom.
Open it.
Find a blow up doll.
Lesbo orgy time.

 

[Perknose]

What did I do wrong, you know?" Morton said Thursday.

Really? You don't know, Tyell? You caused your school to be evacuated and a SWAT team to be brought in. You crossed the fucking line, stupe.

School officials say that the prank cost them over $8,000 and prosecutors don't see the humor.

"In this post-Columbine world, that's what you get when these kinds of things happen," said Rush County Prosecutor Phil Caviness.

Facing up to eight years in prison if convicted, Morton will also miss his high school graduation and isn't allowed on school property.

I'm officially open for bets that he will not be sentenced to any jail time. Any takers?

The rest is more than appropriate. $8,000 sounds high, but he should have to work to pay off the costs of his "prank", especially since the little darling still thinks he didn't do anything wrong.

Just let the kid go.

Absolutely NOT!

Don't ruin his life over something as silly as this. Overreact much?

He will not be sentenced to any actual jail time. Care to bet on that? His life won't be ruined. PC, I think you are overreacting.

 

[Kadarin]

They jail this guy, but don't prosecute the Lower Merion School District of PA for spying and possible child porn because "there was no criminal intent". Disgusting.

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/06/08/2037215/School-District-Hit-With-New-Mac-Spying-Lawsuit

 

[Theb]

When I was a sophomore some of the seniors ran a blow up doll and and an empty bottle of Jack Daniels up the flagpole. It was hilarious.


Someone outta run that prosecutor up the flagpole.