Judge Warns Deerfield Teens After Not Guilty Plea

Immediately after pleading not guilty to 10 separate felony charges, two Deerfield teenagers accused of invading a Highland Park home Aug. 2 with a stolen shotgun got a warning from Lake County Criminal Court Judge Daniel Shanes Thursday at their arraignment in Waukegan.

In separate hearings 90 minutes apart, Josh Norris, 18, and Joseph Mahoney, 17, of Deerfield, told Shanes they were pleading not guilty to which could lead to more than 100 years in jail if convicted on all counts and given consecutive sentences.

Earlier: Grand Jury Indicts Deerfield Teens

“I don’t know of any 18-year-old who can get their arms around 21 to 46 years,” Shanes said to Norris referring to the home invasion count with a firearm. “Home invasion is the most serious of these charges because of the use of a firearm. If you are convicted it’s six to 30 years. Because of the firearm, if they can prove it, I have to add 15 years.”

When talking to Mahoney, Shanes made the same point in a different way. “That’s longer than you’ve been alive,” the judge told Mahoney when describing the potential 21 to 46-year sentence for home invasion with a firearm.

Shanes let both Mahoney and Norris, who are free on $150,000 bond each, know they must strictly adhere to the terms of their bail or face incarceration while they await trial. Mahoney told the judge he is living in his parents’ home.

“You have to follow their rules as well as my rules,” Shanes said. “If I find you violated their rules I will find you violated my rules. If you break those rules you may stay in jail (until your trial).”

Norris’s attorney, Robert Gevirtz, told Shanes that Norris is attending an out of state therapeutic boarding school and asked the judge to continue to allow that. He agreed but made it clear to Norris he must adhere to all rules.

“I suspect it’s doing you some good,” Shanes said to Norris of the school. “If you violate the rules of the school you violate the court’s rules.”

Shanes also let both Mahoney and Norris know the terms of their bond had a twofold purpose. “It’s to keep the public safe and keep you out of trouble,” Shanes said to Mahoney. “If you break them you stay in jail.

Norris and Mahoney will return to Lake County Court at 9 a.m. Nov. 9 for a pre trial with the case currently set for trial Dec. 10 in Waukegan.

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