Senior District Attorney Kendall Reynolds told the judge he was waiting on a report from an expert psychologist that he expected to include \u201cgermane and necessary material\u201d for his case.<\/p>\n
Michael was 16 when she allegedly drove another 16-year-old<\/a>, Byron Rangel, to the McDonald\u2019s on Willow and Nees avenues April 23 and then acted as the getaway driver after Rangel allegedly shot Quick in the head outside the fast food location, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n One of her attorneys, Jeff Hammerschmidt, has said it does not appear that she was aware of what would happen at the restaurant nor had knowledge that the other teen had a gun.<\/p>\n Hammerschmidt objected Monday to pushing the trial back further, telling the judge he had already secured an expert for his case. Michael has been in custody for about nine months without that hearing.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s been adequate time,\u201d he said outside the court. \u201cI think the fact that we were able to get an expert and have a written opinion provided in December shows that there\u2019s adequate time.\u201d<\/p>\n Hammerschmidt said if the hearing were to be continued further, he\u2019d request Michael be released from custody.<\/p>\n The transfer hearing would last no more than five days and is to be held at the downtown Fresno Superior Court, according to the judge.<\/p>\n Michael has been using her time in custody to show she can be rehabilitated, according to Sally Vecchiarelli, another attorney for the teen girl. She said Michael has finished high school, and has begun college-level classes.<\/p>\n \u201cQuite frankly, she\u2019s never been in trouble before,\u201d Vecchiarelli said. \u201cSo it\u2019s not even really an issue of her needing rehabilitation. It\u2019s rather an issue of the facts coming to light in regard to what her involvement was in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n The juvenile court system places a greater emphasis on rehabilitation for youthful offenders than those tried in adult court, according to experts. The amount of time Michael faces if convicted is also significantly shorter if she is tried as a juvenile.<\/p>\n As an adult, Michael would face 26 years to life if convicted of participating in the slaying, prosecutors said. As a juvenile, she faces up to seven years of confinement or up until she turns 25.<\/p>\n Rangel and Michael were dating. The two 16-year-olds turned themselves into Clovis police on May 10, more than two weeks after Quick was killed. They\u2019ve been in custody since.<\/p>\n An attorney for Rangel has said the shooting was motivated by an alleged sexual assault by Quick<\/a> that was caught on camera video.<\/p>\n Rangel\u2019s next hearing is Feb. 26.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n