A Fresno County judge set a July 28 trial date for the now 17-year-old accused of serving as the getaway driver in Caleb Quick's killing after ruling she will remain in juvenile court. (GV Wire Composite/Paul Marshall)
- A judge scheduled a 10-day juvenile trial for the accused getaway driver in the Caleb Quick murder.
- The court ordered a medical evaluation for the driver after concerns about food allergy issues.
- The defense will seek reduced charges. Prosecutors have not offered a plea agreement.
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A 17-year-old girl accused of serving as the getaway driver in the fatal shooting of Clovis teenager Caleb Quick is scheduled to stand trial after a judge ruled that she will remain in the juvenile court system.
During a hearing Friday, the court set a 10-day trial expected to begin July 28 and scheduled a trial confirmation hearing for July 17.
The defendant, who was 16 at the time of the alleged crime but will be 18 when the trial begins, faces charges connected to Quick’s killing. Because the case is proceeding in juvenile court, any confinement would be limited by state law, with jurisdiction ending no later than age 25.
Family members and supporters of both Quick and the defendant attended Friday’s hearing.
The Current Status of the Minor
Defense attorneys told the court the teenager has been experiencing allergy-related issues while housed at the Juvenile Justice Campus detention facility in Fresno and alleged she had been served foods to which she is allergic. The judge ordered that she be examined by a doctor within three days.
The court also noted that the defendant has achieved Level 3 status at the facility, the highest behavioral classification, indicating she is complying with programming requirements and maintaining good standing.
The hearing followed a transfer proceeding in which a judge determined the defendant would not be transferred to adult court. Under California law, prosecutors seeking to transfer a juvenile murder suspect to adult court must prove the minor is not amenable to rehabilitation within the juvenile justice system.
Caleb’s Father Is Hopeful, Frustrated at the Process
Following Friday’s hearing, Caleb Quick’s father, Stephen Quick, said he remains hopeful the case will result in justice for his son but criticized the state’s transfer process.
He said that the burden is on the prosecution to prove that a minor cannot be rehabilitated.
Quick also said transfer hearings can be lengthy because of a limited number of experts qualified to evaluate juvenile defendants, requiring both prosecutors and defense attorneys to secure their own specialists.
The defendant’s case is proceeding separately from that of the juvenile accused of shooting Caleb Quick. The alleged shooting suspect is scheduled to return to court Tuesday for a scheduling hearing.
Although the two cases stem from the same homicide investigation, the proceedings are being handled independently, meaning rulings in one case are not expected to affect the other.
Hammerschmidt Intends to See Case Through
Defense attorney Jeff Hammerschmidt, who is part of the alleged getaway driver’s legal team, and who is awaiting the results of a Fresno County judicial election, said he intends to remain on the case regardless of whether he wins the judgeship outright or advances to a runoff election later this year since the trial would conclude by the January 2027 swearing in.
Defense attorneys said the upcoming trial will focus primarily on witness testimony and factual disputes rather than expert evidence.
They argued during the transfer hearing that the defendant did not know a shooting would occur and became inconsolable after returning to a relative’s residence following the incident.
According to the defense at the transfer hearing, the alleged shooter was directing events and doing most of the talking afterward.
The defense said it will seek to reduce the charges, potentially to battery or accessory after the fact at the July 28 trial. In a juvenile justice case, there is no jury and the judge will be making the determination.
Prosecutors have not offered a plea agreement, according to statements made in court.
Timeline of the Murder
Quick, 18, was shot to death on April 23, 2025, outside of a McDonald’s restaurant in Clovis.
The Clovis Police Department described the April 23 homicide of Quick as “targeted and planned.”
That day, police responded to reports of gunfire near Willow and Nees avenues at 8:57 p.m.
Officers found Quick with a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to a hospital, where he died.
Investigators said the suspects arrived in a 2024 white Tesla Model 3 at a McDonald’s restaurant around 7:44 p.m. and left the lot at 8:12 p.m. Quick arrived at 8:22 p.m., followed by the male shooting suspect, who headed toward the restaurant around 8:33 p.m.
The Tesla returned to the parking lot moments later and parked several rows away. Surveillance video showed the shooting suspect entering the McDonald’s at 8:38 p.m., sitting briefly and then following Quick outside.
Police said the shooting occurred as Quick approached his car. The shooting suspect fled on foot west toward Fresno and climbed into the Tesla about a minute later. A handgun was later recovered during a search warrant, Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming said.
Surveillance footage showed the suspects leaving the scene before officers arrived.
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