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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Court of Appeals has ruled that a juvenile court judge needs to reconsider the decision he made that would have allowed a now-17-year-old boy to face murder charges in the adult court.
Antonie Hunter Farani was 14 years old when he was charged with aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, for shooting and killing JoJo Brandstatt, 18, whose body was found on a West Valley City golf course on Feb. 6, 2009. Farani was one of four individuals charged in the slaying, but is believed to have been the one who pulled the trigger.
Following a five-day hearing in December 2009, 3rd District Juvenile Judge Andrew Valdez certified Farani as an adult, thus moving the case into adult court. But in a ruling written by Judge William Thorne Thursday, the Utah Court of Appeals ordered Valdez to reconsider his decision on the grounds that he admitted hearsay evidence into the certification hearing, namely a written report by the juvenile probation department.
Before the certification hearing, Farani's attorneys filed a motion to exclude the report which attorneys said "contained hundreds of pages of hearsay, including but not limited to the juvenile probation department’s 'recommendation' to certify him for adult trial," the Utah Court of Appeals ruling states. The report also addressed the teenager's social history and background.
Valdez allowed the report to be used on the basis that the rules of evidence did not need to be applied as strictly in the hearing as they would be in an "adjudicative" hearing. But the Utah Court of appeals sided with Farani's attorneys.
"The juvenile court erred when it failed to apply the Utah Rules of Evidence to determine the admissibility of the report," the ruling states. "We remand this matter to the juvenile court for reconsideration of its certification order … and for such further proceedings as may be necessary to ensure that the ultimate certification decision regarding A.H.F. complies with that rule."
Farani is the last defendant connected to Brandstatt's death yet to see his case resolved. Spencer Isaiah Cater, 21, was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery, both first-degree felonies, by a jury and is awaiting sentencing, but was acquitted on a charge of first-degree felony murder.
Shardise Malaga, 21, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for five felonies, including manslaughter, two counts of kidnapping and unrelated charges of burglary and theft. Jeremiah Williamson, 29, pleaded guilty to murder, a first-degree felony, and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
All four were originally charged with murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and five counts of aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies, though Farani's murder charge was filed with an "aggravated" enhancement.
Email:emorgan@ksl.com
