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'.

This is a public high school? You are how old?

Yes, it is. And 18.

Quote:

---

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."

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.

Quote:

---

Quoting 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.

Quote:

---

Quoting 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.

Quote:

---

Quoting 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.

Quote:

---

Quoting 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.

Quote:

---

Quoting 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.

"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."

Interesting choice of colleges.

Gail

You report that you were late for school. Due to the possibility of you missing homeroom, you may not have been counted as actually being an active student for the day. If you weren't given creddit for being in attendeance, then it is very well possible that you were charged with CTTL beacause you weren't supposed to be there. Saying that you forgot that you had mace on your keychain is like an attorney saying I went to the range and forgot that I left my gun in my bag when he comes to the County. You don't forget things like that. Even if it's an honest mistake, you don't forgrt that. Talk your counsel, you're going to need him/her.

I think that's a stretch, particularly given the language of the statute, 720 ILCS 5/21-5. While the officer may have indicated that as the arresting offense, I suspect that if charges were filed they're for a different offense. I browsed through the Illinois Statutes and didn't find one that obviously applies -- the school can, of course, have rules against the possession of mace (or similar sprays) on its property, but possession of "a non-lethal noxious liquid gas or substance designed solely for personal defense carried by a person 18 years of age or older" falls outside of the state's unlawful use of weapons statute, 720 ILCS 5/24-1.