KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin declined Thursday to withhold release of the name of a 15-year-old boy accused of killing a 13-year-old acquaintance.
Irwin said Tennessee law didn't give him the authority under the circumstances to keep Malakiah L. Harris's name out of the public eye.
Harris is facing a second-degree murder charge in a juvenile petition filed by Knox County prosecutors. He's accused of stabbing the girl to death after arranging to meet her early Tuesday in the Broadacres area of Northwest Knox County.
State law recognizes the charge and the nature of the crime as one to which the public has access, Irwin noted. In these circumstances, the public has a right to access the court proceedings, he said.
"That's the way it's going to be," Irwin said.
The judge, however, ordered the redaction of the young victim's name from court records. The judge said if he'd just lost a child, he wouldn't want to read the child's name in the paper or see it on TV.
"She doesn't have a chance to say what she'd like, and I'm going to say it for her," the veteran judge said. "Decency."
In the future, the victim's name may emerge anyway, he noted.
WBIR has the name of the victim, but isn’t releasing it at this time out of respect for the family. They’ve asked WBIR to not release the name until after the funeral.
Defense attorney Christina Kleiser sought to keep the young man's name from the public, arguing he's entitled to be spared damage from mass media exposure. Releasing his name adds trauma onto trauma, Kleiser argued.
Harris is awaiting prosecution while being held at the Richard L. Bean Detention Center. He faces a status hearing Tuesday to see how attorneys want to proceed , again before Irwin.
Kleiser may seek a probable cause hearing to see what evidence the state has against her client. Prosecutor Tammy Hicks said authorities had developed more information Wednesday about the case that helped solidify what happened when the child was killed.
Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen's office may seek to have Harris's case moved from juvenile court to Knox County Criminal Court, where he'd potentially face trial. For that to happen, Irwin would have to weigh evidence on whether he thinks Harris can be rehabilitated and whether it's in the best interests of the community if he's prosecuted as an adult.
Juveniles rarely are shifted from the juvenile system to adult court. Only in the most extreme cases, such as a murder, does a young person typically face transfer.
Under Tennessee law, someone age 14-17 can face potential transfer under certain legal circumstances. The juvenile court system maintains authority over a young defendant's treatment until their 19th birthday.