Two teens accused of killing Caleb Quick appear in court for first time
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The teens accused of killing Caleb Quick at a Clovis McDonald's appeared in juvenile court for the first time Wednesday.
No pleas were entered, and no evidence was presented.
Cameras were not allowed inside.
Action News could only take notes on what we saw and is not naming the suspects due to their ages.
RELATED: 2 teens charged with murder in shooting that killed Caleb Quick in Clovis
At 1:37 p.m., the teen girl entered the courtroom in an orange sweater.
Her parents were sitting in the front row.
They held hands and cried.
The girl sat without any visible emotion as the judge said she was charged with murder and ordered her to stay in juvenile hall until her next court date.
"We'll definitely enter a denial at the continued arraignment, the continued arraignment," defense attorney Jeff Hammerschmidt said.
He is representing the girl, who investigators believe was the getaway driver.
"There's a lot we still don't have. There's bodycam. There's photographs. There's other videos. I've seen them referenced in the reports, but I don't have access to them," Hammerschmidt said.
RELATED: Boy accused of killing Caleb Quick 'having a difficult time adjusting to custody'
The girl's boyfriend is said to have pulled the trigger.
While they are accused of acting together, their cases are being handled separately in court.
He entered at 1:54. His parents and brother were already there.
He had a buzz cut, a purple shirt, and dark blue sweatpants.
It was a far cry from those images police say show him in all black watching Caleb Quick for 13 minutes inside McDonald's.
Quick's family and the community are still looking for answers.
There's no public motive, no clarity about who owned the gun and no idea how the accused killers knew the victim was at the McDonald's.
"There may be additional evidence that's out there that both the DA and the defense need to know," Action News Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi said.
RELATED: Clovis Police reveal new details following arrests of 2 teens in shooting death of Caleb Quick
"But the major issue is going to be whether or not the prosecution, and I believe they are going to ask the court to treat them as adults and send them over to the Superior Court."
Quick's family is pushing for them to be tried as adults.
Prosecutors will try, and the defense will push back.
The contrast is stark: a maximum of seven years in juvenile hall with a sealed record or up to life in a state prison with everything public.
"Because the crimes are so egregious and so aggravated, it's going to be difficult for the Juvenile Court to hear this case. But again, it's up to the judge to make that decision," Capozzi said.
The two teens are now due back in juvenile court next month in what is shaping up to be a long court process ahead.
Caleb's parents tell Action News they will be closely tracking it as they look for answers.
For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook, X and Instagram.
