Attorneys for an 18-year-old Vermont man accused of planning a mass shooting at his former high school have requested the court grant their client "youthful offender" status.
A motion filed this week by the Office of the Defender General on behalf of Jack Sawyer asks the court to move charges of criminal threatening and carrying a deadly weapon to family court. Sawyer pleaded not guilty to the charges. Four felony charges, including three attempted murder charges, were dismissed in April following a Vermont Supreme Court ruling.
Police say Sawyer planned a shooting at Fair Haven Union High School.
Vermont Deputy Defender General Marshall Pahl says his client is an adolescent who could benefit from a system that rehabilitates offenders.
Rutland County State's Attorney Rose Kennedy says the state opposes the move.
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