charge him with a misdemeanor let him pay a fine and be on his way
THIS.
I can buy a medical kit with a knife.
I can buy a mitt, baseball, and a bat.
I can get a diving suit with a spear gun.
I can get an archers kit with a bow n arrow.
I can get a mining kit with some low grade explosives.
I can get a brick of fireworks for an upcoming BBQ.
I can get a bunch of chemicals for a big spring cleaning kick this weekend.
I can justify my trunk full of goodies as just being ready for a day's activities.
OR
I can have what I need onhand to set of diversions and kill a lotta people.
Now, all that aside... the real Q is... how did they find the knife? Unless they regularly pop trunks at that school, *something* told them to look in that trunk for a knife.
There was a case a few years back, a kitchen knife found in a student's car, hey, what's the big deal. Turned out the only reason they found the knife is that the girl threatened someone with it.
HOW did they find the knife? That might explain why they went so overboard with the charges. most kids could keep a machine gun in their trunk and nobody would ever know.