HOLTON — One of three teens charged in what authorities call a Columbine-style plot against their high school was found guilty by a judge as part of a plea agreement.
The 15-minute hearing before Magistrate Judge Dennis Reiling ended the possibility of James R. Lopez, 16, being tried as an adult on five felony charges.
"The court enters a finding of guilty" to one charge of criminal use of explosives and criminal threat, the judge said.
Lopez was charged last month with conspiracy to commit aggravated arson. The state filed additional charges of solicitation to commit aggravated arson, two counts of criminal use of explosives, aggravated intimidation of a witness and criminal threat.
As part of the agreement, the other charges were dropped and the judge dismissed the state's request to have Lopez tried as an adult, keeping the matter in the juvenile justice system.
"There's no perfect way to come out of something like this, but we've done the best we can," said Lopez's lawyer, Dennis White of Holton.
As for his client, White told reporters, "He's glad to be getting this thing behind him."
During the hearing, Lopez sat next to White at the defense table. He stood to answer, "Yes, your honor" when asked if he agreed to the stipulation and understood the proceedings.
The judge set an April 12 sentencing hearing, and White said he would ask that Lopez be given probation. Lopez could receive up to 36 months at a juvenile correctional facility.
After the hearing, Lopez met several minutes in private with his mother and attorney. Then, he was returned to the juvenile detention center in Topeka where he has been since his arrest last month.
Trailed by reporters, Lopez, of Mayetta, was led by a deputy through chilly rain to a van outside the Jackson County Courthouse after the hearing.
Asked for comment, Lopez only said, "It's cold out."
Assistant Atty. Gen. Athena Andaya read the six-page stipulation, outlining evidence the state had against Lopez and the other two, Richard B. Bradley Jr., 18, of Hoyt, and Jason L. Moss, 17, of Mayetta.
Bradley and Moss still face the same charges Lopez did prior to the agreement.
Andaya told the judge that witnesses could testify the trio made bombs, fired guns and talked about the Columbine High School incident.
Authorities accused all three of being involved in a plot to attack Royal Valley High School in Hoyt, where they were students. A search of two homes on the day of their arrests uncovered such items as a semiautomatic rifle, bomb-making material, a white supremacist drawing and a long black coat.
Earlier this month, Moss' lawyers, Donald and Jason Hoffman of Topeka, said they wanted to work out an agreement with their client to avoid a trial.
Bradley's preliminary hearing is to continue March 29. His attorney, Richard Lake of Holton, said Thursday his client planned to go forward with the hearing.
After the three students were arrested, there were quick comparisons to the April 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., where two students killed 13 people before killing themselves.
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