CHICAGO – A Hillside teenager accused of attempting to bomb a Loop bar appeared relaxed and upbeat Thursday in federal court, even cracking a joke when asked about facing life imprisonment.

During his arraignment, Adel Daoud, a 19-year-old high school graduate, was asked a series of routine questions, including whether he understood that he faced up to life in prison if convicted of the terrorism-related charges. Daoud responded by asking the judge whether it could get any worse than that.

His attorney, Thomas Anthony Durkin, later said that his client’s “joke” seemed to reflect his age and understanding of what’s happening to him.