Lawrence County Judge to decide if Jordan Brown should be tried as an adult
NEW CASTLE, Pennsylvania - A judge in Lawrence County will decide if 13-year-old Jordan Brown should stand trial for murder as a juvenile or as an adult for the 2009 shooting deaths of his father's fiance Kenzie Houk and her unborn child.
Jordan Brown was just 11 years old at the time.
A hearing was held Friday morning before Judge Dominick Motto in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.
This is the second time that the judge is faced with this decision. That's because Brown's defense team appealed the judge's first ruling to put Brown on trial as an adult.
The Superior Court agreed with the defense attorneys argument that it was impermissable to put any weight on Brown's failure to admit any guilt in the crime. That's because every defendant has a right against self-incrimination.
Chris Brown, the father of the 13-year-old, shook the hand of Attorney Dennis Elisco as he left the courthouse. Minutes later an argument took place just outside the courtroom between the mother of murder victim Kenzie Houk and a woman who was sitting with the defendant's family. It's unclear what the women were arguing about. Sheriff's Deputies stepped in to stop the disagreement from escalating.
Defense Attorney Dennis Elisco says he feels confident that Brown will answer to the charges as a juvenile, in a closed courtroom setting. "If the case is transferred by the court then we only have 10 days after that to have the adjudication, meaning the juvenile trial on his responsibility or lack of responsibility."
But prosecutors are concerned the victims will get no justice and Brown won't receive the help he needs if the case is sent back to juvenile court. Prosecutor Anthony Krastek says, "You have to show some kind of plan that could treat what happened here. The underlying factors that cause this child to do that. To say that his problem is that he's away from home doesn't really address the murder of two people."
The victim's family has faith the judge will do the right thing. Jack Houk, whose daughter was murdered, believes "as a juvenile him getting out at 21, I don't think that's the right decision."
