School Threat Penalties

Consequences of School Threats

The ramifications of making a school threat are not just immediate. They can haunt you throughout the rest of your life.

Both bomb threats and weapon threats are considered felonies. Prosecutors tell me that if the suspect is 17 years or older, he or she will be in adult court. If under, it's handled in Juvenile court, which they say is a bit softer but can still carry life-long consequences.

"A felony conviction stays with you forever," says Craig Lambert, Wood County District Attorney. "Unless the Governor pardons you, which is rare, and of course there are serious consequences."

If you are a convicted felon you lose your right to bear a firearm and also can't vote while on supervision. It can affect being accepted into college, whether or not you can serve in the military, and can also affect getting a job at any point in your life. Many times it will lead to expulsion from school, but whether a student is expelled is up to the individual school.

The threat of a weapon in a school zone is a different crime than a bomb scare, but is still a felony. It carries a maximum penalty of 3.5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.