Editorial: American Justice At Work- 18 Year Old High School Senior Faces 8 Years For Senior Prank

Tyell Morton being interviewed by WISH-TV 8

By Brody Levesque | WASHINGTON DC -- As a parent who has transitioned from having adolescents ravaging my home to the very peaceful existence I now relish, save of course for those same now 20 somethings uni students only stopping by these days to do their laundry... [ Read: "Dad, would you mind throwing some of my stuff in with your laundry," as I eye a huge bag of my progeny's dirty laundry bursting at the seams. ] use my WiFi and of course, raid my fridge and obviously, Dad is still chief chef- I completely understand that most 18 year olds don't often think when they act out in what they brand as "humourous" when they pull off a prank.

Apparently and after performing the necessary journalistic due diligence and research on the following story from Rushville, Indiana, neither did young Tyell Morton.

Here's the story, [ Wire Services text follows] as reported by Indianapolis' 24 News Channel 8, WISH-TV:

(JUNE 2ND 2011) RUSHVILLE, INDIANA -- A high school senior accused in a senior prank faced a judge Thursday.
The planned prank blew up in the face of 18-year-old Rushville High school Senior Tyell Morton, who is jailed and facing serious criminal charges.

“It’s not right. It was a senior prank. They’re blowing it out of proportion. I didn’t hurt anybody, I didn’t intend to embarrass anybody. What did I do wrong, you know?” Morton said Thursday.

Morton was arrested Tuesday after school surveillance cameras captured a picture of a man dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and wearing latex gloves, concealing a package and leaving without it. Believing it contained explosives, the school was evacuated and the Indiana State Police bomb squad was called in. It turns out that the package contained a blow-up doll placed in the girls’ restroom. Police say that Morton admitted putting it there as a prank.
He’s now charged with felony criminal mischief for a hoax that the teen’s family says doesn’t rise to the level of criminal charges.

“I don’t think a criminal who murders gets that kind of a deal,” said family member Valana Morton.

“This is an overreaction,” said another family member, Kim Morton.

School officials say that the prank cost them over $8,000 and prosecutors don’t see the humor.

“In this post-Columbine world, that’s what you get when these kinds of things happen,” said Rush County Prosecutor Phil Caviness.

Facing up to eight years in prison if convicted, Morton will also miss his high school graduation and isn’t allowed on school property.

“A senior prank, get put in jail? I hate to see what they put you in jail for nowadays, you know?” Morton said.

Morton, who has never been in trouble with the law is now wondering how a prank went wrong. His bond has been set at $30,000.

This case has started to garner national media attention with widely popular radio host Tom Joyner, highlighting Tyell's legal nightmare Friday on his syndicated national programme. Tyell's family and friends have set up a webpage along with the requisite Facebook page to plead Tyell's case to the  greater public.

Here's the aspect of this case that troubles me most- if this kid were white and his parents had connections/money in that community, I seriously doubt that bail would have been set at this level and in fact, after investigation of the facts, I also highly doubt the charges would've been comparable to what young Tyell is now facing.
As a parent- I'd most likely agree that Tyell's actions were ignorant bordering on seriously dumb. But I'd also argue that once the investigation showed that there were not any intentions on his part to harm, maim, kill, or commit other nefarious deeds, that local prosecutor should have deferred pressing charges and instead in lieu of that found a suitable alternative programme or court solution that was more befitting an obvious case of teen-aged hijinks.

The reaction from officials thus far beggars any reasonable adult's expectations of a suitable and equitable solution. Yes, we live in an era of sometimes violent episodes carried out by troubled teens and young adults in schools where there is a need to be cautious and take measured preventive steps. Please note I said "measured."

Locking this kid up serves no other purpose than to send a message that we still mistrust black teens and that categorically they are all thugs and criminals. It also says that Americans as a society have lost all aspects of common sense in dealing with youth.

Does Tyell need to be punished for being an ignoramus? Yes, and appropriately at that, say like spending a few months in community service and then after successful completion, being discharged and having this episode expunged from his record.

Staying the course here is a hideous waste of a promising life, taxpayer's money, and most of all illustrates that American Justice is meaningless now. What ever happened to common sense? I find this story and what is happening to this young man a travesty.