JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A judge allowed 13-year-old Cristian Fernandez, accused of murder, to appear in Jacksonville, Fla., court unshackled for the first time since his arrest.
Fernandez appeared Monday for the first time without the leg restraints and handcuffs he has been required to wear in court since the death of his 2-year-old brother last year, The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union reported.
The motion to remove his restraints, filed by his defense attorneys, was granted by Circuit Judge Mallory Cooper, who noted Fernandez was neither a flight risk nor a security risk.
Fernandez, who is being tried as an adult, poses no risk unrestrained, Cooper said in her order.
Fernandez, the youngest person in the state's history to be charged with first-degree murder, was indicted in June for allegedly slamming his 2-year-old brother against a bookshelf, killing him.
Fernandez's mother, Biannela Susana, 25, was also charged with aggravated manslaughter because she was not home when the incident took place. Prosecutors said her negligence led to the death of 2-year-old David Galarraga.
