Hearing postponed for teen charged in Mendham High threat

A Family Court review in Morristown of a 15-year-old boy charged with leaving a threat about a shooting on a restroom wall at West Morris Mendham High School was postponed from Tuesday to Friday.

The Superior Court Family Division judge slated to hold a status conference on the charge against the teenager was not available Tuesday afternoon so the case was adjourned until Friday, court officials said.

It was not immediately clear whether the youth is still being held at the Morris County Juvenile Detention Center, though a Family Division judge last week had ordered him to remain there at least until Tuesday’s now-postponed review.

The teen, whose name cannot publicly be released because he is a juvenile, was charged on Dec. 8 with creating a false public alarm at the high school by scrawling a threat about a shooting on a school lavatory wall that was discovered Dec. 5.

Before his arrest on Dec. 8, police had announced there would be an increased law enforcement presence at the school.

At last week’s hearing, Judge Catherine Enright had ordered that the teen remain in custody and undergo a psychological evaluation. Mendham Detective Chris Irons, who filed the complaint against the boy, was in court Tuesday but the media was not permitted to enter the courtroom.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@njpressmedia.com