Attorney seeks juvenile court for student who brought handgun to school

[October 19, 2012]  Attorney Jeff Page went before Judge Thomas Harris with his client, 15-year-old Blake Landstrom, on Thursday afternoon. Page asked that Harris reassign Landstrom's case to juvenile court.

Landstrom was taken into custody by Lincoln police on May 15 at Lincoln Community High School on weapons charges.

Landstrom allegedly committed the offense of carrying into the high school a pistol concealed under his shirt. He was consequently charged with unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a stolen weapon.

When he appeared before Harris on May 18, Landstrom was advised that the charges against him warranted his being tried as an adult. At that time, Landstrom did not have an attorney.

Landstrom asked that day if he could address the court, and Harris advised him that he should not say anything to anyone without an attorney. Harris said he would appoint an attorney to the case and that Landstrom and his parents should confer with that attorney before making any kind of statements.

The attorney appointed to Landstrom was public defender Jeff Page out of Springfield.

On May 21, Landstrom was back in front of Harris with his attorney. Landstrom was once again advised of the charges and asked to submit a plea. He pleaded not guilty.

He was then asked if he would want a trial by jury or a bench trial. He requested trial by jury. That trial was set to begin Oct. 22, this coming Monday.

Thursday afternoon Page said he was working to have the case resolved in juvenile court. He asked that the trial date for Landstrom be rolled into the November calendar. He said by then he expected that the case will have been moved out of the criminal court.

State's Attorney Michael McIntosh was present representing the state in this case. Harris asked if McIntosh had any objections to releasing Landstrom to the juvenile courts.

McIntosh said that Page had offered information on "certain conditions that exist with the defendant." McIntosh said he had not seen evidence of these conditions, but had no reason to believe Page was not being truthful. He said that once he sees the information, he would be inclined to agree with Page's request.

By law, juvenile cases are closed to the public, and records are held in confidence.

[LDN]