State wants to try I-64 juvenile as adult
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The prosecution’s motion to try as an adult the 16-year-old facing 10 15 felony charges in the March 27 shootings on I-64 was continued in a brief hearing today. Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Darby Lowe and the teen’s attorney, Dana Slater, left, filed a joint motion in Charlottesville Albemarle Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court to continue the case.
Slater also asked Judge Susan Whitlock to close the trial “entirely” or those portions dealing with “protected information.”
After the hearing, Lowe refused to comment on whether the transfer hearing mentioned in court meant the Commonwealth was seeking to try the boy as an adult.
“You heard it in court,” said the low-voiced Lowe. When reporters protested that they couldn’t hear what she said, she declined to reiterate what she’d quietly said in court.
In her motion to close the trial, Slater cited several statutes including one– 16.1-269.1-A– that deals with trying juveniles as adults.
“The case was continued because necessary information was not available to the prosecution, defense and court,” says Slater.
The 16-year-old and Slade Woodson, 19, were arrested early March 28 at Yonder Hill Farm in Crozet. Farm manager Edgar Dawson had a gun, according to police, and was shot when police burst into the farmhouse at 4:48am.
Dawson has been released from the hospital, and a police investigation into that shooting continues. Sergeant Dave Cooper with the Virginia State Police declined to say whether charges would be filed against Dawson.
Alexandria attorney John Zwerling, who represents Dawson, says his client no longer has a tube coming from his stomach and is walking. Zwerling says he hasn’t seen the medical report, but he believes Dawson was hit four times– twice in the arm and twice in the chest.
The next hearing for the Western Albemarle High student is April 23. Woodson, who has racked up 15 charges in Albemarle and two in Waynesboro and was linked to the rampage after a security camera picked up his 1974 orange AMC Gremlin, will be back in court here May 1.
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It strikes me as odd that if this child were tried as an adult and acquitted he would be ineligible to drink, smoke or engage in any other activity that requires him to be the age of majority. Don’t get me wrong; I think they ought to fry his a**. However, the legislature and the courts need to make up their minds and quit making so many ridiculous exceptions. Either he is or he ain’t. If there’s standard then let’s either adhere to it or change it. Also, if he’s being tried as an adult why isn’t the trial open to the public as it would be if he really were an adult? You guys need to decide what you want to do and stick with it. Your glaring inconsistencies make you look foolish. Either treat him as an adult… or don’t.
I think anyone 16 and above charged with a major felony ought to be treated as an adult from the start. They KNOW what they are doing. And while we’re at it let’s drop the drinking age to 18 and legalize small amounts of pot for in home use. Be cool no problem, but act the fool and pay the consequences!
I think the parents-guardians should bear some responsibility. Where were they? Were they watching the kid in the middle of the night?
Was “someone” on the property a county bus driver? I saw what looked like a county bus parked on the property/news clip. Seems someone should have been supervising an immature kid!!! scary scary scary
Also-stupid stupid stupid
#17, if you favor trying all 16-yr-olds charged with a felony as adults, would you also favor giving all 16-year-olds the right to vote? Or the right to have surgery (including abortions) without parental consent? Or the right to buy cigarettes? Because you can’t say that all 16-year-olds are adults under one circumstance, but not adults under another - as in, “he was mature enough to understand the severity of this crime but not mature enough to have a hand in deciding who our next president should be.”
Yep, let 16 year olds drink, smoke weed, and vote.
Oh yeah, let em have abortions too and get drafted.
quote: “Was “someone†on the property a county bus driver?”
Mrs. Dawson, wife of the gentleman the county polive gunned down, drives for the Albemarle County school system.
OK sick, who are the parents of the kids who lived on the farm? Just Wondering?
Can’t go there, since juveniles are involved. :)