FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- On Friday, a Fresno County judge ruled that the teenage girl who is the accused getaway driver in the death of Caleb Quick will not be tried as an adult.
In an exclusive interview, a Fresno County prosecutor reacts after a pivotal ruling in Caleb Quick's murder.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Kendall Reynolds says he is disappointed but is confident he gave it his all, adding there is nothing he would have done differently.|
Reynolds also said Friday's ruling will not impact the teen boy's transfer hearing, as they are two separate legal cases.
The teen boy is due in court in early June and his critical hearing could be scheduled for late August or early September.
Below is a transcript of the exclusive interview in the video player above:
Action News: Transfer motion denied. What's your reaction to that?
Kendall Reynolds: Disappointment, I think. Disappointed for the family, disappointed with really the outcome. We thought we presented a case that would support transfer, but unfortunately the judge saw it a different way.
Action News: Disappointed, but was this expected at all?
Reynolds: The law is tough. There's no question, our burden is high. We knew it would take a lot to overcome and satisfy that burden. But of course, we're always hopeful, so we put on the best case we possibly could, and we're hoping for the best, and it just didn't come out our way.
Action News: The ruling from the judge is very fresh, just a few hours at this point, but looking back, do you feel that there are things you could have done differently, things than more than you could have done? What are the lessons learned here?
Reynolds: No, absolutely not. I don't think we could have done anything differently. That was really the point of this process. I put together a case, the strongest case that I believe we could, and frankly, we did everything we could do in order to prove this case, but unfortunately the judge saw it a different way.
Action News: Tell us about this expert that you brought in, the psychologist who, in four of the five areas, seemed to side with the defense and said the girl could be rehabilitated. Why bring that person to the stand?
Reynolds: Well, I think it's part of the process, you know. We reached out to Dr. Carmichael, and he did his evaluation, and again, as a prosecutor, our number one charge is to do justice, and part of that is to be fair, be ethical, and certainly that is required to be turned over to defence, but nonetheless, I think beyond that, I wanted the court to have all of the relevant evidence, which includes Dr. Carmichael's opinion.
Action News: What precedent does this (ruling) set if you say that it makes it seem impossible?
Reynolds: To me, it sends a wrong message because if somebody doesn't have a negative behavioral history or some history to support overcoming that burden, that means at least your entry into the criminal world, you may have a harder opportunity, harder chance, really, to be transferred to adult court. So, essentially, it allows you to commit these crimes and stay in the juvenile justice system.
Action News: The judge said that you have 20 days to appeal this ruling, will you do that?
Reynolds: There's a lot of factors that go into that. First and foremost, I respect this judge. That doesn't mean I can't be disappointed in the outcome, but I respect her, I respect her ruling, but we'll take time to go through it and determine whether or not there is a viable claim to be made, and if there is, then we'll certainly discuss it as an office.
Action News: An appeal possible but not yet decided.
Reynolds: That's right.
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