Utah Court of Appeals Reconsiders Teen's Case
December 28th, 2011
Salt Lake City, Utah: Third District Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Valdez must face the choice of reconsidering the decision of allowing a teenager to face murder charges in adult court.[1]
Teen Antoine Hunter Farani was involved in the February 6th, 2009 shooting of 18-year-old JoJo Brandstatt at a West Valley City golf course. Farani was 14-years-old at the time of the murder and prosecutors stated that it was Farani who pulled the trigger at the shooting.[1]
Judge Valdez testified in 2009 that Farani should be tried as an adult for his crime. However, the Utah Court of Appeals argued that some of the evidence that Judge Valdez considered at Farani's hearing should have not been admitted for evidence, as the evidence failed to comply with the Utah Rules of Evidence in determining the admissibility of the evidence into the court hearing.[1]
A new hearing has not been scheduled for this case, but the other three men involved in Brandstatt's fatal shooting have had their cases resolved. 21-year-old Spencer Isaiah Cater was acquitted of a murder charge by a jury, but was still found guilty of aggravated kidnapping and robbery charges, for which he faces a life prison term.[1]
21-year-old Shardise Malaga was sentenced to 15 years in prison for committing five felonies, which included manslaughter, two counts of kidnapping and other unrelated charges of theft and burglary.[1]
29-year-old Jeremiah Williamson pleaded guilty to first-degree felony of murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.[1]
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