PORTLAND, Maine — The trial of a South Portland teenager accused of plotting a school shooting began Monday. The teen is facing charges of arson and solicitation for murder in juvenile court.
Because the teenager is being tried as a juvenile, he is not being named. The teen was arrested and charged in 2023. The proceedings are also being held as a bench trial, meaning there is no jury, and the judge will hear the arguments and testimony before ruling on the case.
Prosecutors called two witnesses to the stand on the first day of trial: a detective from the South Portland Police Department and the defendant's former best friend.
A third witness, "Jane Doe," was also subpoenaed to testify Monday, but she did not appear in court. Police were unable to reach her at her home, so the court issued an arrest warrant with hopes the witness would be in court Tuesday to testify.
Prosecutors played a video in the courtroom that appeared to show a teenager throwing Molotov cocktails at the Wainwright Sports Complex in South Portland. The teen's former friend identified the person in the video as the defendant.
A couple of weeks ago, a judge amended the defendant's conditions of release, no longer requiring him to be on house arrest. The Cumberland County District Attorney's Office said the teen now has a curfew but is not required to have adult supervision at all times.
Cumberland County Judge Peter Darvin ruled earlier this year the defendant would be tried in juvenile court. Darvin decided the teen would be tried in the juvenile system instead of adult criminal court because he said he believed the teen would be adequately tried in the juvenile system.
The trial is expected to finish Tuesday.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misstated the charges for which the teenager is facing during this trial. That error has been corrected.