12 y.o. student charged with felony 'exhibition of gun' although no gun found

[midnight rambler]

This is only one example of the extreme madness overtaking this country -

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DALLAS_SCHOOL_THREAT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-10-30-08-36-46

[madfranks]

Doesn't there have to be some evidence that this actually happened, or like domestic violence, is the claim merely enough to convict?

[midnight rambler]

Doesn't there have to be some evidence that this actually happened, or like domestic violence, is the claim merely enough to convict?

Supposedly a diagram of his plan to 'shoot up the school' exists, and apparently that's the sole basis of this charge, other than the verbalizations to his classmate.

[cheka.]

bullish on thought crimes

the pigmen always ALWAYS chipping away

[BrewTech]

Can I buy thought crime futures? That would be cool, as I don't have a solid retirement plan at this juncture

That seems a pretty solid growth market.

[palani]

For discussion purposes ... any plan that if implemented would result in death or serious bodily injury ... that plan would seem to be classed a deadly weapon.

https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Past_Issues&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=24397

GENERALLY
In criminal cases, Texas trial courts are required to place affirmative findings in the courts’ judgments whenever it is shown that a deadly weapon was knowingly used or exhibited by the defendant during the commission of a felony offense or during immediate flight therefrom.
1 This requirement resulted from the 1977 legislative amendment to Article 42.12 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure providing for an affirmative finding in criminal judgments of the use or exhibition of a deadly weapon when appropriate.
2 All felonies are theoretically susceptible to affirmative findings under Article 42.12, Section 3g.
3 A “deadly weapon” is defined as “a firearm or anything manifestly designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting death or serious bodily injury; or anything that in the manner of its use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury.”
4 It does not have to be a gun or knife.

Wouldn't it seem that think tanks formed to examine scenarios that would result in violence or death fit the same class? How 'bout bomb drills? Or drills where homeschoolers have surrounded a public school with the evil intent?

Beware the boogie man. 'specially around All Hallows Eve.