Georgia Middle Schooler Charged with 12 Counts of Terroristic Threats

A sixth grader at Rehoboth Road Middle School has been arrested with 12 courts of terroristic threats and 8 counts of disorderly conduct in Georgia.

According to reports, the sixth grader made threats on social media that put several different Griffin-Spalding County schools on lockdown. These schools included: Spalding High School, Griffin High School, Rehoboth Road Middle School, Kennedy Road Middle School, Cowan Road Middle School and Griffin Christian Academy.

The sixth grader's threats led to the evacuations of all of the above-mentioned schools on March 12th. The schools were deemed safe and back in session by the afternoon. Right as the students went back into school, more messages came through threatening a bomb. Additional threats were made leading to more shutdowns of more schools. The social media account was allegedly linked back to the sixth grader.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the offense of terroristic threats in today's post.

Terroristic Threats in Georgia

Terroristic Threats in Georgia is defined in O.C.G.A. §16-11-37:

A person commits the offense of a terroristic threat when he or she threatens to:

• Commit any crime of violence;
• Release any hazardous substance; or
• Burn or damage property.

The terroristic threat shall be made:

• With the purpose of terrorizing another;
• With the purpose of causing the evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transportation;
• With the purpose of otherwise causing serious public inconvenience; or
• In reckless disregard of the risk of causing the terror, evacuation, or inconvenience.

Terroristic threats is classified as a misdemeanor offense. Misdemeanors carry the consequences of up to one year in jail or up to $1,000 in fines, or both. However, if the threat suggested the death of the threatened individual, the person convicted will be guilty of a felony and will be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000, a prison term between one and five years, or both.

Furthermore, the penalty will be heightened to a fine not to exceed $50,000, prison term between five and twenty years, or both if the threat is made with the intent to retaliate against any person or threaten any person from attending a judicial or administrative proceeding as a witness, attorney, judge, clerk of court, deputy clerk of court, court reporter, community supervision officer, probation officer, or other party or producing any record, document, or another object in a judicial or official proceeding; or providing to a law enforcement officer, community supervision officer, probation officer, prosecuting attorney, or judge any information relating to the commission or possible commission of an offense.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested for a crime in Georgia, contact our offices today. A Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney can walk you through all of your options and let you know what we can do for you now.