By Jamie Satterfield ( Contact)
knoxnews.com
Prosecutors on Wednesday filed a petition seeking to have a 15-year-old boy accused in a fatal shooting at Central High School tried as an adult.
The Knox County District Attorney General's Office formally notified Juvenile Judge Tim Irwin via a petition that they want the judge to transfer delinquency by reason of first-degree murder charges against Jamar Siler to the adult justice system for trial.
Siler was to appear Wednesday in Knox County Juvenile Court for a hearing on whether prosecutors have the necessary evidence required to show probable cause that Siler shot Central sophomore Ryan McDonald in a crowded school cafeteria a week ago.
At his side would have been Knox County Public Defender Mark Stephens, who was initially appointed to handle the case. However, Irwin earlier this week replaced Stephens with attorney Russell Greene and delayed Wednesday's hearing.
Court records show that members of Stephens' staff have, over the years, represented McDonalds' parents, both of whom have extensive criminal records.
The decision on whether Siler rates transfer to the adult court system rests solely with Irwin and could mean the difference between a few years of punishment and rehabilitation efforts in a juvenile facility and a minimum 51-year sentence in a state prison.
Under the law, Irwin must consider two key things - is Siler committable to a mental health facility and, if not, are there programs within the juvenile justice system to rehabilitate Siler.
That Siler has a criminal record already, albeit a minor one, would weigh against him since it tends to show he rebuffed earlier efforts to redeem himself via juvenile court.
Police have said last week's shooting came after an earlier encounter between Siler and McDonald, who also had a prior minor brush with the law, but authorities so far won't detail the conflict or its source. Police also haven't said why Siler came to school armed or from whom he got the gun.