Teens charged in NJ school prank appear in court

TEANECK, N.J. (AP) -- Three former students charged after a senior prank that went awry at a northern New Jersey high school have chosen to enter a pretrial intervention program for first-time offenders.

The Record reports the 18-year-old students will pay $158 in court fees and must stay out of trouble for six months. If they abide by those conditions, they will walk away without criminal records.

The deals were approved during a municipal court session on Wednesday.

The three defendants were among dozens of Teaneck High School student charged after a May 1 prank there caused widespread vandalism in the school that included graffiti and overturned desks and chairs

The students initially were charged with burglary and criminal mischief, but Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli later downgraded the charges.

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