TFred
Regular Member
imported post
buster81 wrote:
However, reading the law that Repeater cited above, I'm not sure it would be a slam dunk guilty verdict... although a violation of section (i) seems pretty clear from the reports that have been published in the newspaper articles.
buster81 wrote:
user wrote:Don't the adminstrators conducting fire drills tell the fire department becore they mobilize and show up with lights and sirens? Just a question.
I think buster's point was that the difference between criminal and non-criminal "pulling a false alarm" is or should be based on whether or not you take steps to prevent the Emergency Services from responding in a manner that would endanger others, and that certainly seems reasonable to me.The question, as I understood it, was not whether or not the university president exhibited the finest in judgment; the question was whether she had committed a crime.
However, reading the law that Repeater cited above, I'm not sure it would be a slam dunk guilty verdict... although a violation of section (i) seems pretty clear from the reports that have been published in the newspaper articles.
TFred§ 18.2-461. Falsely summoning or giving false reports to law-enforcement officials.
It shall be unlawful for any person (i) to knowingly give a false report as to the commission of any crime to any law-enforcement official with intent to mislead, or (ii) without just cause and with intent to interfere with the operations of any law-enforcement official, to call or summon any law-enforcement official by telephone or other means, including engagement or activation of an automatic emergency alarm. Violation of the provisions of this section shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.