THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 31, 1996 TAG: 9610310313
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 34 lines
Three of the four juveniles charged with arson at Windsor Oaks Elementary School will be tried in Juvenile Court instead of Circuit Court.
The cases of Alan Ferrara, Robert Laramay and Brodie Brown have been returned to the juvenile system by Circuit Court Judge John K. Moore.
The case of the fourth juvenile, Brian Bell, will remain in Circuit Court, where Bell could be tried as an adult.
All four cases were transferred to Circuit Court on Sept. 26 by Juvenile Court Judge H. Thomas Padrick Jr. All four appealed the transfers in separate hearings during the past two weeks.
Bell's hearing was before Judge A. Bonwill Shockley, who ruled that Bell's case should remain in Circuit Court.
Trial dates for the four have not been set.
According to Ferrara's attorney, Russell Fentress, Moore ruled in his three hearings that the juvenile court did not comply with the factors set forth in the transfer statute.
The three juveniles had no criminal record and had never been in the juvenile system before. Experts also testified that the three could be helped in the juvenile system.
The transfer statute is normally used in cases of crimes such as murder, robbery and malicious wounding.
The fires at Windsor Oaks Elementary School on May 12 and 25 destroyed all the school's portable classrooms and caused $165,000 in damage. All four juveniles were charged with arson, burglary and conspiracy to commit arson and burglary. All except Ferrara also are charged with grand larceny.
KEYWORDS: ARSON FIRE VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS JUVENILE by CNB