Arraignment Postponed for Lawrence King’s Killer

May 9th, 2008 · 1 Comment

 

(source)

A California judge postponed the arraignment of 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, charged with murdering his 15-year-old gay schoolmate, Lawrence King, last February.

According to The Advocate, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kevin McGee continued the arraignment until June 12 after McInerney’s public defense attorney, William Quest, requested more time to prepare his case.

The District Attorney’s office has charged McInerney with premeditated murder with a special allegation of a hate crime. The boy allegedly shot Lawrence King on Feb. 12 in front of fellow students in a classroom at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard. Citing a controversial 2000 law, Senior Deputy District Attorney Maeve Fox also decided to try McInerney as an adult, which could carry a sentence of 50 years to life in prison if he is convicted.

Defense attorney Quest told the Ventura County Star that he is preparing a “very in depth” legal motion challenging the constitutionality of trying McInerney as an adult, which he wants to submit before arraignment.

Outside the courthouse, Quest said he was “very happy” that lesbian and gay groups issued a statement calling on the DA to try McInerney in Juvenile Court, the Star reported. 

The statement to which Quest referred was a letter to DA Gregory Totten sent April 14 by a coalition of 27 LGBT groups. They said they were “saddened and outraged” by King’s murder, but “at the same time, we call on prosecutors not to compound this tragedy with another wrong” by trying McInerney as an adult.

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1 response so far ↓

  • 1 GG // Jul 20, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    Who could kill a kid like Larry? That killer kid was probably just jealous of Larry’s attention from girls. I hate that boys can get jealous of gay boys.

    Larry will always be in my heart and memories.

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