Accidentally Carrying Mace Into a School
My question involves criminal law for the state of: Illinois. I ACCIDENTALLY brought mace into my school. I visited Chicago to look at Colleges one weekend and put mace on my keys to defend myself if need be. The following Monday I went into to school late and therefor had to go through security check. The security guard found the mace and confiscated it after calling the police. I was suspended and then arrested. I will appear in court soon and would like to get this criminal charge dismissed. What is the best way to get this dismissed or to avoid being charged at all? Also, the officer that arrested me, put on my bail bond deposit sheet that my offense was 'Criminal Trespass to State Supported Land'; I don't understand this, seeing as how I am a student at the school. If this is not dismissed and I am charged, I will loose my scholarship for having a 'Criminal Background'.
Re: Accidentally Carrying Mace to School
This is a public high school? You are how old?
Re: Accidentally Carrying Mace to School
Re: Accidentally Carrying Mace to School
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I will loose my scholarship for having a 'Criminal Background'.
You will probably lose it anyway when the school finds out that you don't know the difference between "lose" and "loose."
Re: Accidentally Carrying Mace to School
You're 18.
Your an adult.
You've been arrested for a criminal offense.
Common sense would dictate that you hire a lawyer.
I guess they don't teach common sense in college.
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adjusterjack
You're 18.
I guess they don't teach common sense in college.
The OP is still in high school. Colleges usually do not require you to go through a security check when you come late.
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John_28
The OP is still in high school. Colleges usually do not require you to go through a security check when you come late.
OK, they don't teach common sense in high school either.
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adjusterjack
OK, they don't teach common sense in high school either.
These days, the only thing they teach in high school is obedience to authority. So, don't expect a high school to educate a student on his/her constitutional rights.
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John_28
These days, the only thing they teach in high school is obedience to authority. So, don't expect a high school to educate a student on his/her constitutional rights.
Really? From what I have seen, obedience to authority is not generally an immediately noticeable trait of today's teenagers (nor was it back in the stone-age when I was a teenager!). But, I agree that things like civic responsibility, understanding of the justice system and government authority/restrictions, and basic Constitutional law are things that seem to be lacking in modern high school curriculums. Unfortunately, common sense is not something that can't readily be taught in a classroom…it has to be learned through experience (sometimes painful experience). Common sense would tell you that you shouldn't "forget" that you are carrying a weapon and bring it into a high school building that you know has things like guards and security screening points at the entrances/exits. I'm thinking the (painful) experience of having done so may provide a bit of "common sense" education to OP.
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John_28
These days, the only thing they teach in high school is obedience to authority. So, don't expect a high school to educate a student on his/her constitutional rights.
If parents actually did their job correctly, perhaps it wouldn't be the high school's burden to begin with.