What is the name of your state? KY
What course of action can be taken in this case?
A professor receives a threatening e-mail from his own e-mail account (this can be faked.) The police ask who "might" have done this. The professor names one student. The student is questioned, denies sending the threat (even though he is cajoled endlessly by the police to admit to it and claim it was a prank), and voluntarily gives his personal computer & cell phone to police. At that moment, based on no better evidence that what I have written here the student is arrested on Terroristic Threatening. No rights are read to him. He is released to his family.
A few days later in court the judge is about ready to toss the case out, but miraculously the police & professor produce another e-mail sent after the initial interrogation & arrest that names the interrogator thus "proving" this student did it. Assumably because nobody except the student knew who interrogated him (as if every cop at the police station & every campus security officer didn't know.) Based on this the student is jailed on $100,000 bond. He bonds out but is now under house arrest, banned from school & will lose his job. The case will go to grand jury & the PC is at a forensics lab.
This stinks to high heaven as a setup as I don't think even the dumbest person in the world (which this student isn't) would, after being questioned, arrested, and surrendering PC/Phone to the police, go straight home and send an additional threat message to the professor naming the investigator.
This young person is completely confused and still maintains innocence. My question is what legal action can be taken against the school & police for this violation of rights. Also, what agency can I turn to as it is quite possible that the local authorities are biased & complicit. They seem invested in hanging this young person no matter what his guilt or innocence. As an FYI, this young person has NO criminal record beyond a few speeding tickets.
The charge in the case is 508.078 Terroristic threatening in the second degree. Which can be found here http://www.lrc.ky.gov/KRS/508-00/078.PDF
Any help is appreciated.
What course of action can be taken in this case?
A professor receives a threatening e-mail from his own e-mail account (this can be faked.) The police ask who "might" have done this. The professor names one student. The student is questioned, denies sending the threat (even though he is cajoled endlessly by the police to admit to it and claim it was a prank), and voluntarily gives his personal computer & cell phone to police. At that moment, based on no better evidence that what I have written here the student is arrested on Terroristic Threatening. No rights are read to him. He is released to his family.
A few days later in court the judge is about ready to toss the case out, but miraculously the police & professor produce another e-mail sent after the initial interrogation & arrest that names the interrogator thus "proving" this student did it. Assumably because nobody except the student knew who interrogated him (as if every cop at the police station & every campus security officer didn't know.) Based on this the student is jailed on $100,000 bond. He bonds out but is now under house arrest, banned from school & will lose his job. The case will go to grand jury & the PC is at a forensics lab.
This stinks to high heaven as a setup as I don't think even the dumbest person in the world (which this student isn't) would, after being questioned, arrested, and surrendering PC/Phone to the police, go straight home and send an additional threat message to the professor naming the investigator.
This young person is completely confused and still maintains innocence. My question is what legal action can be taken against the school & police for this violation of rights. Also, what agency can I turn to as it is quite possible that the local authorities are biased & complicit. They seem invested in hanging this young person no matter what his guilt or innocence. As an FYI, this young person has NO criminal record beyond a few speeding tickets.
The charge in the case is 508.078 Terroristic threatening in the second degree. Which can be found here http://www.lrc.ky.gov/KRS/508-00/078.PDF
Any help is appreciated.
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