Judge Denies Reduced Sentence Appeal For Man Convicted In Franklin Regional H.S. Stabbings

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A judge has denied the appeal for a reduced sentence for the man convicted in the mass stabbings at Franklin Regional High School.

Alex Hribal was a student at the school when he carried out the attack.

Earlier this year, Hribal was sentenced to 23 to 60 years in prison.

Today, his attorney was asking for the 20-year-old's sentence to be essentially cut in half. Attorney Pat Thomassey told Judge Christopher Felicianni it was essentially a life sentence.

Hribal pleaded guilty to 21 counts of attempted homicide and aggravated assault in connection with the April 9, 2014, stabbings.

Thomassey argued that a third-degree murder suspect would receive less time then Hribal and while what happened was terrible, no one died.

Thomassey also asked the judge to reconsider Hribal's mental illness and allegedly being the subject of bullying as cause to reconsider the sentence.

"People who are bullied generally, in my experience, don't talk to experts about it. They don't talk to their parents about it. There was, in my opinion, in the expert reports, reference to bullying. [A doctor's] report, essentially who was the Commonwealth expert, referred to it. But, I guess the judge didn't think there was enough there, and that's why he's the judge," Thomassey said.

In the end, the judge denied the motion to reduce the sentence to 15 to 30 years. Hribal's parents were there for the proceedings, but said nothing.

Thomassey said he'll appeal today's decision. Hribal was returned to the State Correctional Facility at Camp Hill.