Hearings held for Trinity students
Four Trinity Area School District students accused of posting messages and photos on social media threatening violence at the middle school appeared for hearings Tuesday at Washington County Courthouse.
Three of the four boys, whose identities were not released by police, appeared Tuesday before a juvenile master, an attorney appointed by the president judge to hear juvenile cases. The outcomes of their hearings are unknown and are not considered public record as juvenile proceedings are closed to the public.
The fourth boy appeared before Washington County Common Pleas Judge Gary Gilman for a contested detention hearing. Gilman, who presides over juvenile delinquency court, with permission from either the assistant district attorney or the boy’s defense attorney, permitted the Observer-Reporter in the courtroom.
All of the boys were originally placed in a juvenile detention facility following Monday’s incident. The posts, which were uploaded to the photo-sharing site Instagram, included images of guns and drugs, as well as pictures of a student and teacher at Trinity Middle School with implied threats in the captions. The boys were charged with terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and unlawful use of a communication device.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Gilman heard testimony from a juvenile probation officer and the boy’s father as to why he should be removed from the detention facility. The boy’s involvement in the incident was briefly discussed, but his entire role has not been determined. Gilman placed the boy on house arrest with an electronic ankle monitoring bracelet. A hearing was scheduled for Dec. 31 to determined the boy’s future placement.
Gilman said the boy’s attorney requested the matter be heard before a judge.
State police and North Franklin police investigated the threats after a parent notified police Sunday night. Police presence was increased throughout the district Monday. Tuesday was the last day for students before winter break.
The incident remains under investigation.