Franklin Regional stabbing suspect transferred out of juvenile detention
Defense attorney still trying to get Alex Hribal's trial moved to juvenile court
Alex Hribal turned 18 on Thursday -- and by a judge's order, the suspect in last year's Franklin Regional High School stabbing attack was transferred from juvenile detention to the Westmoreland County Prison.
VIDEO: Hribal transferred to county lockup
Judge Christopher Feliciani made the decision last week, over the objections of a defense attorney who wanted Hribal to remain in juvenile custody while he awaits trial.
Hribal, of Murrysville, is charged as an adult with stabbing 20 other students and a school security guard in April 2014. A hearing to determine whether his trial will be held in juvenile court won't resume until November.
District Attorney John Peck said the law requires Hribal to be moved to the county prison once he's 18.
Defense attorney Patrick Thomassey said he's concerned about the welfare of the slightly built Hribal in the county prison, especially given the publicity of the case.
"If there's a problem, the only alternative the warden has is to put him in what's called protective custody, and that's 23 hours a day locked up in an 8-by-8 cell," Thomassey said after a Sept. 24 hearing.
The prosecution called the prison warden to testify at Thursday morning's hearing. The warden said that the jail has plenty of measures in place to monitor inmates.
Thomassey says there are 10 inmates at the juvenile detention center, and many more at the adult jail.
"I think that would be very counterproductive to his progress mentally. I think there's going to be problems there," he said.
Thomassey acknowledges that his client committed the attack but contends that Hribal was seriously mentally ill. He says Hribal has been responding well to mental health treatments while in juvenile custody.