Champaign County Juvenile Court Judge Lori L. Reisinger said Wednesday she soon will rule on a defense motion to determine if Ely Serna, 17, would best be suited for juvenile sanctions and a prosecution motion to transfer the accused West Liberty-Salem shooter into adult court.
Ely Serna, 17, is escorted into Champaign County Juvenile Court for a probable cause hearing Wednesday. (EXAMINER PHOTO | JOEL E. MAST)
It appears in light of a recent Ohio Supreme Court decision that the judge will have little recourse but to deny the defense request for an amenability hearing and transfer the teen into the adult system.
Still, in a carefully orchestrated hearing after more than an hour of closed door meetings with the attorneys, the judge retained jurisdiction to consider the request rather than grant Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi’s motion for transfer.
Serna is charged with two counts of attempted murder; three counts of felonious assault; six counts of improperly discharging a firearm in a school; and single counts of inducing panic and illegal conveyance of a firearm into a school.
Read complete story in Thursday’s Examiner.
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