Will teens charged in Caleb Quick’s killing be tried as adults? They face hearings this month
It’s been nine months since 18-year-old Caleb Quick was gunned down in a Clovis parking lot, now the two teenagers charged with in his death are expected to appear in court this month to begin the process of determining if they will be tried as adults.
Byron Rangel, 16, the alleged gunman, is scheduled to appear in juvenile court on Jan. 8 in Dept. 99b for a status hearing. His alleged accomplice, Cassandra Michael, 16, is expected to appear on Jan. 27 in Dept. 99a for the same purpose.
At the status hearing, a judge will decide if the lawyers representing the teenage defendants are ready to proceed with the pivotal transfer hearing. The outcome of that hearing will determine if the defendants will be tried as adults or juveniles.
The defendants have denied the charges, and their attorneys are expected to hire experts to show that Rangel and Michael don’t deserve to be prosecuted as adults.
Part of Coleman’s defense will test the theory that a juvenile’s male brain is not fully formed until the age of 25, affecting their ability to make judgments and understand consequences.
Coleman has also been busy compiling electronic evidence from several phones containing messages from social media posts, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
“The amount of evidence from social media is huge,” Coleman said.
If convicted as an adult, Rangel could face a potential sentence of life without the possibility of parole and Michael faces a potential sentence of 26-years-to-life.
If convicted in juvenile court, the teenagers face potential confinement of 7 years or until they are 25, according to current juvenile sentencing guidelines.
Senior District Attorney Kendall Reynolds called the shooting a “public execution,” while Rangel’s attorney Mark Coleman alleges his client was motivated to shoot Quick because the 18-year-old had recorded himself sexually assaulting an unconscious teenage girl.
Michael, who is represented by Jeff Hammerschmidt, is accused of driving the getaway car. The defendants turned themselves into police soon after.
The brazen shooting of Quick left many in shock in Clovis and Fresno.
Video surveillance the night of the shooting showed Quick and his friends leaving the McDonalds at Willow and Nees at about 9 p.m. on April 23. Soon after a gunshot was heard.
When officers arrived, they found Quick with at least one gunshot wound to the side of his head. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died.
The 18-year-old senior was planning to leave Clovis for the military in June. He had enlisted as a recruit for the U.S. Air Force.
