Class of 2009 Millikan High School graduate Walter G. Thornburgh returned to Long Beach Superior Court briefly Tuesday morning, where he pled not guilty to four felony and three misdemeanor charges concerning the alleged possession of illegal and/or destructive devices.

Specifically, Thornburgh—the subject of my cover story in last week’s edition of The District Weekly—is charged with possession of the ingredients to make a destructive device; possession of a destructive device; possession of a destructive device near a school; and possession of a shuriken, or throwing star. These are the felony charges against him.

He also faces three misdemeanor charges: possessing metal knuckles; possessing a slungshot; and possessing a destructive device—a tennis ball, which may or may not have been rigged to explode.

Thornburgh, who is 18, was taken into custody Oct. 23 by Long Beach police—and numerous items, including chemicals and alleged explosive devices were seized—following what his attorneys say was an accidental explosion in the back yard of his father’s East Long Beach home.

In court Tuesday, represented by attorney J. Raza Lawrence, from the Law Offices of Allison B. Margolin, Thornburgh pled not guilty—followed by a brief back-and-forth between Lawrence and Deputy District Attorney Steve Chamberlin over Thornburgh’s next court date.

“We’re considering the possibility of filing a writ to the court of appeal,” Lawrence told Long Beach Superior Court Judge James D. Otto.

The defense wanted more time, Lawrence said later outside court, to formulate appeals asking the case be dismissed because evidence has been destroyed; because it believes Thornburgh was unfairly charged with felony violations; and because it believes Thornburgh’s right to fair process was violated

Chamberlin declined comment.

After initially scheduling a pretrial hearing for Jan. 7, Otto relented and pushed it back one week.

Tags: Allison Margolin, California, Deputy District Attorney Steve Chamberlin, explosive device, J. Raza Lawrence, Long Beach, LONG BEACH SUPERIOR COURT, Millikan High School, shuriken, Southern California, The District Weekly, Theo Douglas, throwing star, Walter G. Thornburgh