Students at Central Connecticut State University thought it would be funny to pull a little prank recently. They filled the halls of their dorm building with the smoke of burnt popcorn and tied several students' dorm room doors shut. As the fire alarms went off, many believed they were trapped in a burning building.

In the planning stages, it is likely these students thought their plan would be humorous. College pranks often seem very tasteless to the general public and it is likely these same students wouldn't have thought it so funny if they were on the receiving end of this little joke.

According to the Connecticut Post, three students now face criminal charges and are facing a misdemeanor criminal mischief offense for this fun time and they likely aren't laughing anymore.

What seems initially as a harmless prank can quickly turn ugly. This is certainly not the first or the last time college students face criminal charges for a prank or joke gone bad. You may even be able to look back on your college or high school days and think “Man, I'm glad we didn't get caught doing that!”

The fact is, sometimes you do get caught though. What seems like a great plan at the time can go horribly awry. Or, perhaps no plan is involved at all. Sometimes criminal charges arise from situations that seem to be beyond your control.

Some criminal mischief charges don't require intent at all. Simply recklessly allowing something to happen can get you charged with certain levels of this criminal charge.

If you are facing criminal charges for damage to property or criminal mischief in Connecticut, you need the assistance of an experienced attorney. Call me today to discuss your case and see what we can do together.