If you’re like many people, you know that you’re not supposed to call in bomb threats. There are serious legal consequences for doing so. But what if you’re a teenager – will you get in trouble for calling in a bomb threat to your school? Here’s what you need to know.
In the state of Illinois, you can be tried in juvenile court or adult court if you’re a teenager. Anyone who’s 18 or older is tried in adult court – and so are some people who are younger, if the crime is serious.
But whether you’re young enough for juvenile court or old enough to be tried in adult court, it’s illegal for you to call in a bomb threat to your school. Generally, Illinois law classifies this crime as disorderly conduct. In fact, here’s what the law says:
“A person commits disorderly conduct when he or she knowingly … transmits or causes to be transmitted in any manner to another a false alarm to the effect that a bomb or other explosive of any nature … is concealed in a place where its explosion or release would endanger human life, knowing at the time of the transmission that there is no reasonable ground for believing that the bomb … is concealed in the place.”
Related: Punishments for other disorderly conduct charges in Illinois
Penalty for Calling in a Bomb Threat to Your School
Calling in a bomb threat to your school is a Class 3 felony, and if you’re convicted, you could go to prison for up to 5 years in prison and pay fines of up to $3,000. In addition to any other sentence you receive, you’ll also be required to reimburse the unit of government that sent emergency responders to the school – so if the police and the fire department showed up, you’re going to have to pay for the cost of spinning up the police and firefighters.
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