Chardon, Ohio Shooter Makes First Appearance In Geauga County Juvenile Court

Tuesday, T.J. Lane, accused of shooting five fellow students at Chardon High School on Monday morning, appeared for the first time in the Geauga County Juvenile Court. Juvenile Court Judge Tim Grendell ordered that Lane to be detained in the Portage-Geauga County Juvenile Detention Center until charges were officially filed. Judge Grendell also declined to release juvenile court and family court records related to Lane and his family.

Lane allegedly brought a knife and a .22-caliber gun into the Chardon High School cafeteria Monday morning, firing ten shots at nearby students. Of the five victims of the attack, three have died, Daniel Parmertor, 16, Russell King Jr., 17, and Demetrius Hewlin, 16. One other, Joy Rickers, 18, was treated and released from the hospital and Nickolas Walczak, 17, remains in serious condition.

If Judge Grendell finds that there is “probable cause” to believe that Lane committed the alleged offenses, Ohio Revised Code (O.R.C.) § 2152.12, mandates that Lane be tried as an adult. Generally, the discretion to try a juvenile as an adult lies with the juvenile court judge, however, O.R.C. § 2152.12(A)(1)(a)(i) states that if the child is accused of committing “aggravated murder, murder, attempted aggravated murder, or attempted murder if committed by an adult, the juvenile court at a hearing shall transfer the case if…the child was sixteen or seventeen years of age at the time of the act charged and there is probable cause to believe that the child committed the act charged.”

The attorneys of DiCaudo, Pitchford & Yoder have extensive experience handling criminal charges. If you are facing criminal charges or have questions regarding Ohio’s criminal law, contact the experienced Criminal Attorneys of DiCaudo, Pitchford & Yoder today.