Legal News

Prosecutors justify trying teen as adult for "execution-style premeditated murder"

By Richard Binder

Ventura County prosecutors provided details of the classroom shooting of 15-year-old Larry King by suspect Brandon McInerney in a document explaining their decision to try the juvenile suspect in adult court.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Maeve Fox said Tuesday that the district attorney decided to provide details of the killing in response to defense attorneys? allegations that prosecutors had abused their discretion by filing charges against McInerney in adult court. He turned 15 in January. Fox said prosecutors wanted to show a judge their basis for making the decision, and the facts ?speak volumes? on why the case was filed in adult court.

According to prosecutors, murder suspect Brandon McInerney sat behind King in a computer lab class on Feb. 12, 2008, didn?t do anything for 20 minutes, and then without saying a word fired one shot into the back of King?s head. As the teen collapsed to the floor, McInerney stood up, looked around at his astonished classmates and delivered a ?second, coup de grāce? shot into King?s head, prosecutors allege.

McInerney is charged with first-degree murder, a hate crime and discharging a firearm. He faces a sentence of 51 years to life if convicted of all the charges. He is in custody, with bail set at $770,000.

Read details here.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on February 12, 2009 (boomark / email).