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The lawyer for the Delaware 16-year old high school student charged with killing Amy Joyner-Francis says their **client was not aware that the fight would lead to death. According to the Associated Press, in a statement, attorney John Deckers says his client is a good student and has no prior disciplinary history involving fighting.  

His client, who is accused of repeatedly hitting Joyner-Francis in the girls bathroom at Wilmington’s Howard High School of Technology, is currently charged with criminally negligent homicide for the April 21 attack. Prosecutors want to charge Deckers’ client as an adult for her alleged crime, but he wants the court to reconsider.

“The altercation was between two teens who knowingly and willingly entered the bathroom for that purpose,” he said.

“The possible consequence — that a consensual fight, involving no blunt force injuries, could ever result in death due to an unknown, pre-existing medical condition — was entirely unapparent to either girl.”

Deckers added, “A teenager has no way of reasonably perceiving or anticipating that death might occur in this type of a consensual confrontation — something which otherwise appeared to be a not uncommon, although ugly and regrettable, fight between two school girls.”

But not everyone is buying it:

While some outlets have claimed this fight was over a boy, police have yet to confirm that theory.

Earlier this week, officials admitted that Joyner-Francis, who died of cardiac attack, had a pre-existing heart condition that was aggravated by the stress of the beating. According to the AP, Deckers’ client was released on $13,000 bail, must avoid contact with her co-defendants and with possible witnesses, cannot log onto social media and must continue with counseling. It’s unknown if the school will expel her. 

The two other 16-year-old girls involved in the beating have been charged with misdemeanor conspiracy.

What do you think? Does the potential punishment fit the crime?

**Editor’s Note: Because the accused teen is a minor, HELLO BEAUTIFUL is choosing to not use her full name in any reports about this matter. 

RELATED LINKS: 

#RIPAMY: 16-Year-Old Girl Beaten To Death In High School Fight

#RIPAmy: Lawyer Says Charged Teen Didn’t Expect School Fight To End In Death  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com