17-year-old charged with 7 counts of robbery will remain in adult court

Robbery charges against a 17-year-old will not be transferred to juvenile court but remain in adult court so he can receive the maximum opportunity for rehabilitation, a judge ruled Monday.

Nicholas Manyfield is charged with seven counts of first-degree robbery for his part in staging a drug transaction and then robbing seven juveniles while one of the accomplices was armed with a gun.

The seven alleged victims told police the robbers took their wallets, cash, and an iPod on Dec. 17, 2010 in the parking lot of Garfield Elementary School, according to a police report. One of the robbers was armed and fired a shot into the rear window of a car owned by one of the alleged victims.

A juvenile court officer testified at an earlier hearing that she recommends the charges stay in district court based on his age, length of time for rehabilitation until his 18th birthday and his juvenile record.

Manyfield's first offense was for disorderly conduct in March 2009, his next was possession of a controlled substance – marijuana – in January 2010 and assault and rioting in October 2010.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Stephen Jackson Jr. said in his order that Manyfield's juvenile offenses, while just warnings, seemed to escalate over time. Based on the juvenile court officer's statistics that the number of contacts with juvenile court authorities is a predictor for higher risk of further delinquencies, he agreed with the court officer's assessment.

Jackson said the district court can hold Manyfield, if convicted, accountable for a much longer time than in juvenile court. Nine months isn't adequate time for rehabilitation based on the seriousness of this crime.

The other defendants charged in this case, Nico Tillmon, 17, will also be tried in district court and Joseph Abouraad, 16, will be tried in juvenile court.

There are two other 15-year-olds who were charged in  March for their part in the robbery but because of their age they will remain in juvenile court.