A Canton, Massachusetts, father charged with bringing a gun to his daughter's school to confront a male student who allegedly punched the girl has been held without bail even though he denies being in possession of a weapon.
Jerome Weekes, 41, appeared at a hearing Thursday to determine whether he is a danger to society and was ordered held until a jury-waived trial on Jan. 18, The Telegram & Gazette reported.
Weekes went to Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester at about dismissal time on Dec. 15 to confront the boy, prosecutors said. Another student reported seeing a handgun in Weekes' car.
Weekes and his daughter searched the school but left the building without incident, police said. He is charged with carrying a firearm without a license and carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds.
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Weekes' lawyer, J. Kerner Thomas, told the judge that his client did not have a gun and just wanted to ask the boy why he hadn't apologized. Weekes' daughter testified that her father did not have a gun. Thomas asked that Weekes' be released on bail.
However, the judge said the testimony of the independent witness and the defendant's criminal history made him rule in favor of detainment.
