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Youthful offender status denied by judge

All four former Auburn University football players accused of robbery and burglary will be tried as adults.

Lee County Circuit Court Judge Chris Hughes denied requests for youthful offender statuses for Shaun Kitchens, Antonio Goodwin and Dakota Mosley earlier this week.

According to state law, it is up to the judge whether to allow defendants under the age of 21 to be prosecuted as youthful offenders.

The youthful offender classification would mandate court proceedings and records be sealed, and sentences could also have been reduced.

The cases have been put on the docket for the next block of jury trials, beginning Oct. 31.

Circuit Clerk Corinne Hurst said this doesn't exactly mean the cases will be tried on that date, but should be heard during the three-week block of trials.

"These cases are always very fluid," Hurst said. "Theoretically (they) could be continued again."

Hurst also said the postponement doesn't mean lawyers couldn't ask to go to trial sooner than the postponement date. For now, lawyers have time to build their cases.

Mike McNeil, who was arrested at the same time, was too old to be eligible for the youthful offender status.


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