UPDATE April 29 11:22am -- Steven P. Choi has waived his preliminary hearing in Montgomery County District Court, giving prosecutors 30 days to pursue felony charges in Circuit Court, amend the charges or drop them altogether.
Choi, of the 13000 block of Riding Loop Drive in North Potomac, could have held a preliminary hearing this morning to contest his charges of attempted carjacking, armed robbery and possession of a concealed weapon stemming from his April 18 arrest.
"We're not going to make any comment outside of whatever we say in court," Robert Bonsib, Choi's attorney, said in a phone interview.
UPDATE April 25 5:30pm -- School officials are not commenting on whether Steven P. Choi will be allowed to return to class at Thomas S. Wootton High School pending the outcome of his arrest last week.
When a student is facing criminal charges, it is up to the school's principal and top administrators to determine whether it will be safe for them to be in school while their legal proceedings take their course, said Leslie Maxwell, spokeswoman for Montgomery County Public Schools.
Wootton Assistant Principal Ira Thomas declined to comment on Choi's status as a student, citing privacy restrictions.
"All I can tell you is that we are aware of the situation," he said. "I have spoken with the family and with the police and we are working with both."
Stuart Levin, vice president of Wootton's PTSA, said that school officials notified him of the situation this morning, but he declined to comment further.
Choi's attorney, Megan Green of MarcusBonsib, LLC, has not returned calls from Patch.
ORIGINAL STORY April 25 2:30pm -- A 17-year-old from North Potomac plotted to steal a car in Rockville and kill someone but was arrested last week before he could carry out his plan, according to Montgomery County police and prosecutors.
Police found Steven P. Choi, 17, of the 13000 block of Riding Loop Drive, on April 18 fleeing from a shopping center at Darnestown Road and Key West Avenue with a "large kitchen knife," a note detailing his plot and latex gloves to conceal his fingerprints, according to court records. He had been "lurking" at the shopping center for hours before robbing , according to court records.
Choi has been charged as an adult with armed robbery, attempted carjacking and possession of a concealed weapon.
"The plan in this case was to take a vehicle and kill someone," near Northwest High School, Assistant State’s Attorney Ray Pilkerton said at Choi’s bail review hearing in Montgomery County District Court.
Megan Green, Choi’s attorney, asked that bail be lowered from $50,000, pointing out that he has no criminal record, has nearly all A’s at Thomas S. Wootton High School and is the son of a former NIH scientist. He also volunteers at a day care center, according to court records.
Choi recently blacked out at school, possibly in connection with lifelong medical issues, Green said, and has a family history of mental problems: His mother committed suicide a few years ago. Choi’s family wants him to receive treatment and to be in school, she said.
"I can’t explain why. … Something triggered in the last few weeks," Green said. "He needs assistance, and he’s not going to get assistance if he’s in jail."
Judge Eugene B. Wolfe kept the bail at $50,000 and ordered that Choi turn over his passports. He is a dual citizen of the United States and South Korea.
Choi’s father posted bond the next day.
While court documents and his lawyer say Choi is a junior at Wootton, school officials said they could not find record of him being a student.
I think you should quit your job as a reporter/ jounalist Thank you
As per Society of Professional Journalist http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp — Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing. — Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context. — Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy. — Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity. — Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes. — Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges. — Balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed. Though this code is voluntary and is NOT enforced by law, it clearly shows the lack of professionalism in your work.
All the other comments are right about the reporter and how unprofessional he is. However, when the article is about you and not in your favor, it is best not to comment on it. And I completely believe you when you say that you are neither angry nor frustrated, and yes i even share your pity for the reporter, but you must keep yourself low, at least for the moment. This is for your own sake. Remember, you're not alone.
I find it very inappropriate for you to post information about Steve's personal life. I feel that you have no idea as a "journalist" to keep your class and keep his privacy out of the internet. I have never read ANY article like this in my life where you state a minors name and family issues. This is simply ridiculous.
Ever heard of Va Tech?
And at all the other people who say this does not infringe upon his right to privacy. Of course his name and his charges could be learned at a case search website, but the details of his actions and the statement of the charges cannot, therefore Sebastian Montes has committed libel, presumably with intended malice, as he knew that Steven Choi would get backlash from this article. There's another couple million dollar lawsuit. You guys should really get your facts straight. Steven will see both "Deb O" and Sebastian Montes in court, and will walk out of that courtroom with a couple million dollars in his pocket, leaving these undeserving slanderous people out on the street. Good luck, Steven.
@anon 10:30p Tu 3 May : You are wrong & stupid. Even when defamation lawsuits are successful, there is never a check written out in court. So Steve wouldn't walk out of court with a 1 million $ check. Do us all a favour and stay in school ok?