When 16-year-old Kiera Wilmot was arrested for causing a small explosion on the campus of her Florida high school in what some called a "science experiment gone bad," the possible felony charges and up to five years in prison that she faced became a national story.
Now, after a crowdfunded legal defense fund raised more than $8,000 to cover her potential legal fees, and a Change.org petition in defense of the teen received more than 200,000 signatures, prosecutors have decided not to charge her. From MSNBC:
Wilmot's arrest became a national story, as members of the press and the scientific community insisted that Wilmot was the victim of a massive overreaction from law enforcement.
"Even though I don't have the privilege of knowing Kiera, I believe we all have the responsibility to stand up with one another whenever there is injustice and felt I had to do whatever I could to make sure the unjust felony charges were dropped," said Maggie Gilman, the creator of the petition, in a statement circulated by Change.org. "I'm very thankful to the 195,000 people who stood with Kiera and signed the petition on Change.org!"
Wilmot has already served a ten-day suspension, and is now attending another high school, according to her attorney.
Read more at MSNBC.