Transfer hearing for accused gunman in Caleb Quick murder rescheduled to December
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A transfer hearing for the 17-year-old accused of fatally shooting Caleb Quick outside a Clovis McDonald's has been rescheduled to Dec. 1, with a judge set to decide whether the teen should be tried as an adult.
The hearing took place Friday at Juvenile Hall, just days after Cassandra Michael was found guilty of first-degree murder in her juvenile trial.
Prosecutors argued that Michael knowingly acted as the getaway driver after the boy allegedly shot Quick. Prosecutors have previously described the shooting as a "planned public execution."
During Friday's proceeding, the court addressed a defense request to postpone the transfer hearing from Sept. 1 to December. Chief Deputy District Attorney Kendall Reynolds said, "We were certainly set to go on the first," but ultimately agreed to the new date.
As the hearing began, the courtroom was divided between supporters of the accused teen and Quick's family. The suspect's parents sat directly behind him, while Quick's father sat on the opposite side of the courtroom.
The teen, wearing a purple shirt and blue pants, sat beside his attorney, Kathy Bird.
Outside the courtroom, Bird said the delay was requested to ensure key expert witnesses would be available.
"Transfer hearings sometimes come down to the battle of the experts," Bird said. "And then we are developing some possible new information with an additional expert."
Asked whether Michael's recent guilty verdict had influenced the defense's strategy, Bird said a transfer hearing differs significantly from a trial.
"When you go into a transfer hearing, the judge is to assume that the charges are true in the petition. And so, our job is to address the five factors in the transfer hearing," Bird said.
Those factors include the sophistication of the crime and the suspect's potential for rehabilitation. Bird said some evidence presented during Michael's hearing could also be raised during the transfer proceeding, including allegations of a sexual assault by Quick that has long been believed to be the motive behind the shooting.
"The sexual assault.. That information may come out in our transfer hearing, too," Bird said.
Before the Dec. 1 hearing, both sides are scheduled to return to court Nov. 13 to submit their cases to the judge. The judge will then determine whether the teen should remain in the juvenile system or be transferred to adult court.
For news updates, follow Vincent Camarillo on Instagram.
