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Jerrell Wright, 23, was pronounced dead at St. Joseph's University Medical Center shortly after he was shot in a car in the area of Broadway and Rosa Parks Boulevard on Oct. 3.
His passenger, Shaheem Clark, 19, from Elmwood Park, was wounded but survived the shooting, as did Charles Obee, 57, of Paterson who was riding a bus when a bullet smashed through it and hit him.
Wright was identified as the shooter and captured in a joint effort involving city police, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office and fugitive squads from the U.S. Marshals Service and New Jersey State Police, said Isa Abbassi, a state-appointed temporary officer in charge of the Paterson Police Department.
At this point, authorities have signed delinquency complaints against the 16-year-old accusing him of offenses that would bring charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy if he were tried as an adult.
In case you're wondering: Juveniles who are at least 14 years old could have their cases waived to adult criminal court from the Family Part of Superior Court, which prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment and operates behind closed doors.
A judge would have to grant the request of a prosecutor -- or even the juvenile -- to change the nature and venue of the particular case.
Prosecutors have to show that the crime is particularly severe or violent.
If found guilty, the teen could be sentenced to time in an adult prison or in a juvenile facility. It's up to the judge.
The nature of the crime is a huge factor, as you'd expect, in a judge's decision whether or not to waive up a case. So are whether any weapons were involved and whether the juvenile has been in similar circumstances before.
The crimes with the best chance of an adult waiver are homicide, aggravated assault, rape, robbery, aggravated arson, liability for a drug-induced death, kidnapping or carjacking.
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