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Trial Starts for Three Girls Charged in Death of Amy Joyner-Francis

family photo

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Three girls charged in a fatal school bathroom fight in Wilmington are going on trial nearly a year after a 16-year-old girl's death.

Attorneys have said the non-jury trial starting Monday in Family Court could last up to two weeks.

A judge ruled last year that a 16-year-old girl facing the most serious charge, criminally negligent homicide, would not be tried as an adult, leaving all three defendants to be tried as juveniles.

The girl is accused of repeatedly hitting Amy Joyner-Francis in an attack last April at Howard High School of Technology. Two other girls are charged with conspiracy in planning the fight, which was recorded on a cellphone.

An autopsy found that Joyner-Francis, who had a heart condition, died of sudden cardiac death.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.