Attorneys for a teenager accused of the gang-related shooting of 18-year-old JoJo Lee Brandstatt at a West Valley City golf course nearly three years ago are again lobbying to have the teenager housed in juvenile detention instead of the Salt Lake County jail.
The request follows a ruling earlier this week by the Utah Court of Appeals, which said the case of Antonie "Hunter" Farani should be returned to the juvenile court system ? at least temporarily ? while a judge reconsiders his prior decision to certify the teen as an adult.
The appeals court said 3rd District Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Valdez relied on a juvenile probation department report containing information considered inadmissible hearsay in his December 2009 determination that Farani should be tried as an adult.
The appeals court remanded the case back to Valdez, who will consider whether there is enough evidence to certify Farani as an adult under stricter rules of evidence.
Attorneys met Friday in 3rd District Court to discuss the detention issue. Farani?s defense attorney, Richard Van Wagoner, was told to prepare the appropriate order to request to have Farani, 17, moved.
Farani ? charged with aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and five counts of aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies ? was 14 years old when he allegedly killed Brandstatt on the night of Feb. 6, 2009.
Farani was with three older gang members who kidnapped another man, Gregory Brown, who is now 21.
Brown claims he was told by the group that if he was able to get $2,000 by the end of the night through robberies, they wouldn?t kill him. Brown said he called Brandstatt, who agreed to meet the group with the address of a gang member they could rob.
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When Brandstatt arrived, he was wearing a red T-shirt and red shoelaces, indicating a connection to Norte?o gang members. Farani allegedly said, "Let?s just finish off this Norte."
The group drove to a West Valley City golf course, where Farani allegedly shot and killed Brandstatt. Driving away from the body, the group then forced Brown to rob three convenience stores with a pellet gun.
Police say Farani confessed to the crime during a videotaped interview with West Valley City police, according to prior court testimony. The teen said he was high on marijuana and pressured to pull the trigger by 20-year-old Spencer Isaiah Cater, who allegedly believed the victim "knew too much."
All four were arrested, and two others ? 29-year-old Jeremiah "Jay" Ha?k Williamson and 21-year-old Shardise "Kaiso" Malaga ? have since pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Cater was convicted at trial last week on aggravated kidnapping and robbery charges and is to be sentenced in February. The jury acquitted Cater of the murder count.
mrogers@sltrib.com
Twitter: @mrogers_trib
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53176657-78/farani-court-brandstatt-brown.html.csp
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