University of Virginia Library

Bomb Threats

This newspaper usually refrains from
running any stories or comment on bomb
threats made at the University. The reason we
do this is that an article reporting a threat
inevitably gives the student making the threat
some sort of satisfaction, as well as giving
other students ideas.

Whoever is responsible for the threats of
the past two days that resulted in the
cancellation of morning classes in Cocke and
Cabell Hall must surely know of the
inconvenience they cause students who have
perhaps stayed up late the night before
studying for an exam or writing a paper. We
write this editorial to inform those responsible
and those who may be contemplating a bomb
threat of the serious legal trouble they face
when, and if, they are caught.

In November of 1967 a third-year student
at the University was caught after he phoned a
bomb threat in to Cabell Hall. He was
dismissed from the University and later, at his
trial, he pleaded guilty and was given a
two-month suspended jail sentence. In a more
recent case, two students in summer school
were sentenced to one year each in jail after
pleading guilty to phoning in a bomb threat.

While no one has yet been charged with
any of the University bomb threats that have
been made since September, three youths
have been charged with Monday's bomb
threats at Lane High School and are being
held in the city jail until a preliminary hearing
next Tuesday.

Commonwealth's Attorney John T. Comblos
has indicated that he is pressing hard for
a severe and speedy prosecution in the case of
these youths. He will attempt to have them
tried as adults. Telephoning in a bomb threat
is a felony carrying a possible penalty of one
to ten years in the state penitentiary, in
addition to a fine of up to $500.

Our point is this: In the minds of at least
the State's Commonwealth Attorney, telephoning
in a bomb threat is no longer the
mild prank it might have been a few years
back. When and if those responsible for the
bomb threats of the past two days are caught,
they should expect little mercy from the
Commonwealth of Virginia.