Hypothetically...how much trouble would this get one in?

[mysteryman520]

I have a friend who is a high school senior (as am I). We were talking and he has access to one of the teachers keys for a while after school most days. He is in theater, and she is the theater teacher. Anyhow...if either of us were to go and get that key copied, number one, what is the chances he (or me if he gives me a copy) would be caught with one. Second, what would happen to us if we did? I honestly know neither of us would do anything bad (stealing, etc). It's actually mostly for a senior prank we want to pull at the end of the year. Again, nothing destructive or damaging. Simple humor.

This key only opens some doors in the school. Not all (although my understanding is quite a bit) and you can't get in the building with it.

I don't know if I want to (or want him to) do this yet. It would be neat to have, but I am wondering of the consequences and likelihood of that happening.

Thanks all!

[yono]

First, what you are planning or about to do is illegal. So dont be tempt to
do it. no matter what kicks, or excitement or challenge you think it is,
it just means TROUBLE.
iN A CASE that once you get that key copied Unauthorized..and you are
caught you compromise your school life(if not forever) and anything
that happens untowards to that key access..whether you do it or not,
you are liable to it. Either you throw that key later on, the lialibities
on copying that key illegally, will be on your shoulder forever.
My Advise is: (not about your friend access to his/her teacher's
key) Stay out of trouble. you cannot advise your teacher how he/she
may make his/her key secure. step away of that red line. no parents
want to see thier children in locked bars. regards.

[EmCee]

As yono said, whatever the intentions of you and your friend, stay away from that - maybe find another way to run the prank...perhaps with the assistance of a friendly teacher?

1) If you or your friend are found with a key (perhaps a security officer or another teacher comes by as you are opening a door ready to play the prank), you run the risk of a black mark on your school record, which may follow you to your next place, whether higher education or work.

2) If anything actually goes missing and you are found with a key, who are they going to suspect? If copying the key is on your record and something goes missing at your next place of education or work, again, where will suspicion fall?

3) If anything goes missing and you or your friend are found with the key, then questions will be asked about how you obtained a copy. If the theatre teacher finds it missing while your friend is borrowing it to copy it, she may report it missing, or if there is an investigation it may be found that it was her key. Either way, she may get in trouble for lax security with her key. Do you hate her or like her? Does the risk of her getting a black mark on her teaching record bother you?

4) The key may or may not be restricted. If it is, then taking it along to a locksmith to have one cut raises two problems - firstly a blank key is unlikely to be available 'off the shelf' and secondly, if a blank is available it may be that you managed to find the locksmith who keyed the school locks. What do you think that locksmith will do then?

Of course, none of that may happen. You may 'borrow' the key, copy it or have a copy made, use it for your prank, and then dispose of it carefully or destroy it rather than leaving it behind or selling it to someone in a lower class.

However, even if the chance of being found out is small, you need to know how serious the possible consequences could be.

Cheers...

[Legion303]

If you're thinking that you can get away with it because you won't be around next year to be disciplined, think about the frustrated school officials who will be more likely to press charges for the same reason. (You didn't fill in your profile, so I'm assuming this is illegal in your state.)

-steve

[Poff]

Bad idea all around. Think of a good prank that does not include breaking and entering.

[Shaun1987]

Stupidity will get you off the hook for almost anything, premeditated access to private doors will get you screwed. Bad idea.

[Evan]

Bad idea all around. Think of a good prank that does not include breaking and entering.

Actually "Breaking and Entering" requires the element of actually damaging the physical building in some way in order to gain entry...

This would be a case of "Unauthorized Entry" or Trespassing rather than B&E since they are not planning on damaging anything to obtain access...

The larger issue here is the moral one of the violation of the trust of the teacher on behalf of the student the teacher is trusting with the key... Two students conspiring no less, while trying to arrange future access capability for at least SOME of the school for a prank later on in the school year...

It is situations like the one the OP has described in his posting why many school districts have very clear policies which specifically PROHIBIT students from even touching or handling physical keys to the building locks...

On the other hand, if this high school is like the ones in the area where I grew up, the master key system is heavily compromised and long overdue for replacement because too many people obtained unauthorized copies of the master key... One of my teachers way back then even made a joke of it as being a status symbol to be a member of the "skeleton key club"...

~~ Evan

[MacGyver101]

Actually "Breaking and Entering" requires the element of actually damaging the physical building in some way in order to gain entry...

No it doesn't. (I'm not trying to be argumentative: it's just that was really bad advice on the law, unless you know something that the rest of us don't about where the OP lives?)

I'm most familiar with the Criminal Code of Canada, but I believe it uses similar definitions to most countries' laws. (I obviously haven't read every law everywhere, but its' definitions are essentially identical to the couple of random U.S. state laws I just checked, British common law, and Finland's criminal code.)

Breaking is defined as "to break any part, internal or external, or to open any thing that is used or intended to be used to close or to cover an internal or external opening". Opening a locked door is more than sufficient, if the person "entered without lawful justification or excuse, the proof of which lies on him".

The Entering portion of Breaking and Entering occurs "as soon as any part of his body or any part of an instrument that he uses is within any thing that is being entered".

Now, whether anyone would actually charge you for Breaking and Entering for playing a school prank... that depends a lot on your school and a little bit on the police. In some parts of the world you might be charged, and in others you wouldn't. (And, in some places, if your copied key happens to also open other areas, like the Chemistry storeroom, you could find people taking it far more seriously than you'd intended them to.)

Don't do it.

[mysteryman520]

Thank you all. I guess I won't be doing that. Thanks for your help once again. I'll think of something different.

[Squelchtone]

Thank you all. I guess I won't be doing that. Thanks for your help once again. I'll think of something different.

Where I worked, as long as the seniors got the dean's blessing before hand, he pretty much let them do all sorts of funny stuff, as long as it was cleaned up sometime that day, and didn't permanently destroy school property. I know for a fact that he even let them in early using his key so they could set up before the school day.

If you don't want to ask for help because its not as cool to do so, keep the prank limited to the exterior of the school. One year seniors at my high school set up a realistic looking and working toll booth with barrier to stop the school buses and collect tolls. The bus drivers were not pleased, but everyone else thought it was pretty funny. So as you see, it doesn't always have to involve getting on the roof, in the courtyard, a classroom, or inside the school hallways at 3 in the morning. Also, even if you have a key, remember, most places have alarms and motion sensors these days.

Have fun, but use your head,
Squelchtone

[mcm757207]

Depending on where you live, if you do that you could potentially (if you had a rather zealous DA) be found guilty of:

1) Conspiracy (if found guilty of conspiring to commit burglary, than this is a felony)
2) Burglary (felony)
3) Possession of burglary tools (felony)
4) Criminal mischief (or similar, depending on what you do inside) (misdemeanor or felony depending on damage)
5) Criminal impersonation (if you assume a "false capacity" in some kind of ruse to borrow the key) (felony)

These are serious criminal charges which could potentially lead to very real time behind bars. Be smart, and get the blessing of the staff for any kind of prank you want to pull.

[79commando]

The one thing everyone has missed is the amount of @@@@ the teacher could also get in for not controling the key. You could potentialy screw his/her career up.

[edsmiley]

79commando brings up an excellent point. While you ponder what trouble you could get in (seems to have been covered well by all the posts), ponder what trouble you could cause as a side effect of this prank.

Also keep in mind that if you copy this key now and keep it until the end of your school year and say some thefts happen at the school. Once they find out you have the key, perhaps those could be pinned on you.

Have fun but use your head is probably some good advise.

Ed