A hearing to determine whether a Woody Creek teen will be tried as an adult or a juvenile for his alleged role in sexually assaulting four local girls is scheduled to occur in about two weeks.
Lawyers for both sides of the case appeared in Pitkin County District Court on Monday in an effort to hammer out any remaining legal issues before the relatively unusual hearing — known as a “reverse transfer” — takes place Aug 1 and 2. During that proceeding, District Judge Chris Seldin will decide whether the teenager will be tried as an adult or a juvenile.
The teen is charged as an adult with sexually assaulting three high school girls and as a juvenile in a fourth case involving another girl who is now 8, though he is alleged to have assaulted the child three years ago. The Aspen Times is not naming him pending the outcome of the reverse transfer hearing because he was 17 when he was first charged, though he has since turned 18.
The reverse transfer hearing has been rescheduled several times since the teen was first charged in October.
During the teen’s last court appearance in May, prosecutor Don Nottingham outlined a plea agreement that would have made him a free man in 20 years. The offer was supposed to be good through July 15, though the teen’s lawyer, Trent Trani, said the offer was “technically” still on the table as of Monday.