People v M.T.
Charges: Bomb Threat under 720 ILCS 5/26-1
Outcome: CASE DISMISSED
Description: M.T. was at a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train station when he attempted to open his briefcase. He could not get the briefcase open and asked the kiosk employee for help. She recommended he slam the briefcase on the ground and the locks would possibly pop open at this point. My client followed his directions and as a result, cans of soda exploded and made a noise that alarmed the CTA employee. M.T., seeing the employee’s alarm, unfortunately told the employee, “It’s not a bomb”. In these days and times, any mention of a bomb in a public area is cause for alarm.As a result, the CTA employee called the police, shut down the train stop and arrested my client charging him with felony disorderly conduct under 720 ilcs 5/26-1.
Mr. Bhatt was able to meet with the State’s Attorney, the attorneys for the Chicago Transit Authority and the court and was able to convince the court and the lawyers that M.T. had no intention of relaying a bomb threat to anyone and that his statement to the CTA employee was in fact an attempt to relax the CTA employee’s alarm.
