Juveniles accused of attempted murder avoid interrogation

Two teenagers charged as adults with attempted murder and related crimes for allegedly shooting another person in September waived preliminary hearings in exchange for their cases possibly being transferred to juvenile court.

Marvin Edwards (Darby) and Semaj Chandler, 17, of Philadelphia are also charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, receiving stolen property, conspiracy and firearms offenses in connection with the Sept. 5 shooting along the CSX railroad tracks in Darby.

Assistant District Attorney Rachel Sweeney said Thursday during two brief hearings before U.S. District Judge Lee Cullen Grimes that both defendants simply waived all charges as part of a “good faith” offer for possible decertification, which would have sent their cases to juvenile court. .

Commonwealth didn’t promise anything, noted Edwards’ defense attorney Luke Mercurio, but the waiver was a “good step” in the process.

According to information previously provided by Darby Police: :

A report of shots fired in the area of ​​North Fifth Street and Darby Terrace/Greenway Avenue came into the station around 10 a.m. thanks to surveillance technology called ShotSpotter, which notifies police of shots fired in real time, allowing for a faster response.

Officers responding to the scene learned that three shots had been fired at the victim near the railroad tracks and that two black males had fled the scene toward North Third Street.

Police converged on the area and saw two men matching the description running from North Third to Darby Terrace. The officers chased the young people and put them in custody.

Darby Police Chief Joe Gabe said at the time that police found a firearm in the possession of one of the suspects, which was determined to be stolen.

Edwards and Chandler, represented by William Weiss, were initially arraigned by District Judge George B. Dawson, who set bail at $500,000. They have been in custody since then.

Defense attorneys indicated the boys would need to undergo an evaluation to determine their risk of reoffending and their susceptibility to supervision in the juvenile system.

Their formal arraignment is scheduled for December 4 in Media County Court.

Daily Times reporter Pete Bannan contributed to this story.