Central Washington 14-year-olds to be tried as adults for 1st-degree murder

It's been a long, long while since I've talked about the state of the law in Grant County, Washington.

The latest news is that the Washington Supreme Court will allow two 14-year-olds to be tried as adults in the 2003 death of an Ephrata boy. They will be the youngest ever tried as adults for murder in Washington.

...(T)he court will not hear a defense motion for discretionary review. The decision means that Jake Eakin, 14, and Evan Savoie, 14, will be charged as adults for first-degree murder. Superior Court Judge John Antosz made a decision to try the two boys as adults, following an eight-day declination hearing in March.

Eakin and Savoie have been accused of beating and stabbing Craig Sorger to death on Feb. 15, 2003 in Oasis Park. The two were 12 years old when Sorger was murdered, and both have denied committing the crime...

Savoie co-counsel Randy Smith said that following the decision by the state supreme court, his case has two avenues with which to take the case. Smith said (they)... could file a motion to have the state reconsider the case, or... a writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court...

Grant County Prosecutor Edward Owens said Thursday that the case will continue as scheduled... April 12. "We're just chugging along," Owens said, "trying to get ready for trial."

"Chugging along": an unfelicitous turn of phrase, evoking steamrollers and railroading...

Update 4/29/05: Jake Eakin pled guilty to second-degree murder.