The hearing is expected to last about half the day on May 10. St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge Jason Dodson will preside over it and then render a judgment one way or another within about seven days.
The timeline moving forward was established at a brief status conference today in front of Dodson. DeClue's mom and dad were both in the courtroom, as were relatives of Kaylee Gain, the 16-year-old who was the victim of the March 8 attack. The two parties sat on opposite sides of the courtroom and, after the hearing, left 15 minutes apart from each other.
If DeClue is certified as an adult, her prosecution will proceed in St. Louis County Circuit Court, with Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell's office handling the case. If she is not certified as an adult, her case will remain in juvenile court and play out largely away from public view.
RYAN KRULL
Maurnice DeClue's attorney, Greg Smith, speaks with reporters outside the courtroom on Monday afternoon.
Between now and May 10, officers of the juvenile court will complete what were described as "social work-type" interviews with DeClue, collecting information about her family and personal history. Attorneys for the juvenile court will present the findings from those interviews to Dodson on May 10. It will then be up to the judge in what system DeClue's case will proceed from there.
DeClue's attorney, Greg Smith, says that he will oppose his client being certified as an adult.
After the brief hearing today, Smith described DeClue as being in good spirits. "But she’s in detention," he said. "Not an easy place to be."
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