Juveniles accused of attempted murder refused the hearing

Two teenagers charged as adults with attempted murder and related offenses for allegedly shooting another person in September have waived preliminary hearings in exchange for a possible transfer of their cases to juvenile court.

Marvin Edwards, Darby, and Semai Chandler, both 17, of Philadelphia, are also charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, receiving stolen property, conspiracy and firearms offenses for the Sept. 5 shooting near the CSX railroad tracks in Darby.

Assistant District Attorney Rachel Sweeney said in two brief hearings before U.S. District Judge Lee Cullen Grimes on Thursday that both defendants expressly waive all charges as a “good faith” bid for a possible decertification that would lead to their cases being reinstated. to the juvenile court.

The commonwealth made no promises, Edwards’ defense attorney Luke Mercurio noted, but the waiver was a “good step” in the process.

According to information previously provided by Darby Police:

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

Responding officers learned that three shots had been fired at a victim along the railroad tracks in the area 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 Thursey to Darby Terrace. Law enforcement officers chased young people and placed them in custody.

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

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

Attorneys said the boys will have to be evaluated to determine their risk of reoffending and be supervised in the juvenile justice system.

A formal arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 4 in Media District Court.

Daily Times reporter Pete Bannan contributed to this story.