A handcuffed Charles Lewis Jr. watched on Tuesday as people from his past argued about what his future should hold.
"I still have some hope, but it's not as strong as it once was, I have to be honest with you," says a somber Victor Bozzo, a former case worker for Lewis Jr..
Assistant prosecutor Steve Kwasnik pressed witnesses about Lewis' time in the group home he was placed in, his psychiatric evaluations over the last 5 years, and whether they thought he was fit to go back into the world.
Lewis Jr. turns 21 in August, which will end his time as a juvenile as part of judge Economy's delayed sentence in 2010. If he's going to be rehabilitated, it's going to have to be in the next seven months.
Which both his psychiatrist and former case worker agree he might be capable of based on his experiences in training schools and afterwards.
"It was surprising how, you know, at the beginning it was a little rough," explains Bozzo, "and when I went to visit, the interaction, I had to initiate it. As he went, he was more engaging, and I could see him maturing. And that was just in a years time, but I could see some changes--positive changes."
Bozzo believes one more chance will be enough for Lewis Jr. to find his footing.
"He's worth the effort," he says.
