A facebook post leads to the felony arrest of a 15 year old Manatee County student. Newspaper reports say the male teenager threatened to bomb Manatee High on the first day of school. A parent saw the post online and alerted police, who began their investigation on July 29th. According to a police press release, there was no evidence at the boys’ house that he had any type of bomb making materials, other than the threats he posted. The 15 year old was a student at Manatee High last year but news reports indicate he is not currently enrolled at that school. Now the teenager faces an investigation between law enforcement and the Manatee County School District.
Bomb Threats: Getting Arrested and Getting Expelled
Anyone charged with making a bomb threat needs to hire a criminal defense lawyer immediately. But when the charges involve a student and a school system, it’s even more important to hire a lawyer with Education Law experience in addition to Criminal Defense. Making a bomb threat in Florida is an automatic felony charge, but it can also mean getting expelled from school.
In this case, newspaper reports say the teenager’s status in the Manatee County school system will be decided after the police investigation. However, these two situations need to be handled simultaneously because one investigation directly affects the other. It’s important for the parents and family to know that the student still has rights and there are steps to protect his future. An experienced juvenile criminal defense/education law attorney can defend this teenagers’ rights in both investigations.
Education Law and Criminal Defense Lawyer
Mark Zimmerman is a board certified Criminal Defense Lawyer and an Education Law Attorney. He’s been helping families and students dealing with criminal and school discipline hearings in Sarasota and Manatee Counties since 2000. Mark understands how tough these situations are for the whole family and has helped many students successfully get their lives back. Contact Mark Zimmerman for a free comprehensive case evaluation at (941) 364-8503 or fill out our online form at the top left side of this web page.
