Lidja
23 Jun 2007, 10:00 AM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070622/ap_on_re_us/clock_prank
MONTROSE, N.Y. - Nineteen high school seniors planned to hold their own ceremony after they were barred from graduation and charged with a felony over what they called a prank, a lawyer said.
The students still will get diplomas, but they were banned from Friday's commencement at Hendrick Hudson High School. They had caused a bomb scare by duct-taping alarm clocks to the walls, setting them to go off simultaneously during class.
They considered holding a competing ceremony Friday but decided instead to hold a separate event at an unspecified later date, lawyer Jim Sarcone said.
"They're going to respect the graduation ceremony of those who are going to attend," he said.
The students are charged with placing a false bomb, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 1 1/3 to four years in prison. They also face criminal trespass charges.
Fifteen pleaded not guilty Monday; four others did not enter pleas. The cases were adjourned to next month.
Sarcone called his clients' punishment "outrageous" because there would be no way to undo the damage of missing graduation if charges are eventually reduced or dropped.
But police said they could have been charged with more serious crimes, such as burglary.
The students sneaked into the Westchester County school June 10 and used duct tape to attach 20 clocks to hallway walls. They set them to go off the following morning, during classes. Instead, motion-sensing alarms in the school went off, summoning police.
Dozens of other students were ordered to perform community service for helping buy the clocks.
This is an awesome prank!!! They should be awarded EXTRA diplomas for awesomeness.
MONTROSE, N.Y. - Nineteen high school seniors planned to hold their own ceremony after they were barred from graduation and charged with a felony over what they called a prank, a lawyer said.
The students still will get diplomas, but they were banned from Friday's commencement at Hendrick Hudson High School. They had caused a bomb scare by duct-taping alarm clocks to the walls, setting them to go off simultaneously during class.
They considered holding a competing ceremony Friday but decided instead to hold a separate event at an unspecified later date, lawyer Jim Sarcone said.
"They're going to respect the graduation ceremony of those who are going to attend," he said.
The students are charged with placing a false bomb, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 1 1/3 to four years in prison. They also face criminal trespass charges.
Fifteen pleaded not guilty Monday; four others did not enter pleas. The cases were adjourned to next month.
Sarcone called his clients' punishment "outrageous" because there would be no way to undo the damage of missing graduation if charges are eventually reduced or dropped.
But police said they could have been charged with more serious crimes, such as burglary.
The students sneaked into the Westchester County school June 10 and used duct tape to attach 20 clocks to hallway walls. They set them to go off the following morning, during classes. Instead, motion-sensing alarms in the school went off, summoning police.
Dozens of other students were ordered to perform community service for helping buy the clocks.
This is an awesome prank!!! They should be awarded EXTRA diplomas for awesomeness.