Skakel: Adult Court-Bound

By Stephen M. Silverman

05/28/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Kennedy relative Michael Skakel, 40, will be tried as an adult in the case of the 1975 slaying of Skakel's then-neighbor, Martha Moxley, Connecticut Judge Maureen Dennis ruled Wednesday. Both Skakel (whose aunt is Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert) and the murder victim were 15 when the bludgeoning outside her home took place. The ruling was a setback for the defense, which had hoped to keep the case in juvenile court, where it has been tried up until now. But Judge Dennis said that the trial should be held in adult court, where Skakel would face a much longer sentence -- of 10 years to life -- if found guilty. NBC News also reported that Connecticut lacks a juvenile facility that could hold Skakel, should he be convicted. Outside the courtroom Wednesday, Skakel's attorney, Michael Sherman, told reporters that his client was disappointed but "far from crushed" by Judge Dennis's ruling. Thursday morning on the "Today" show, Martha Moxley's mother, Dorothy Moxley, said of the decision, "I prayed for this. I'm very happy."