JONES COUNTY — A 15-year-old Jones County boy who was arrested at age 14 on an attempted murder allegation is asking the Mississippi Supreme Court for an emergency hearing and release on bail after spending more than a year in custody without an indictment or trial.
The emergency motion was filed Sept. 9 in the case of K.B., a minor, by and through his next friend, Ashley Shaw, v. State of Mississippi, Supreme Court case No. 2026-TS-00945. His attorney, Kenya D. Brooks, is asking the court to order his release under reasonable conditions while his appeal is pending.
K.B. was 14 when he was arrested in connection with the June 14, 2025, shooting of Jatione Dean, who was 21 at the time. According to a Jones County Circuit Court order, K.B. is accused of shooting Dean in the chest with a pistol while the two were inside Dean’s vehicle. Dean survived.
K.B. has not been indicted in the case.
Brooks argues that keeping K.B. in jail for more than a year without an indictment or trial raises constitutional concerns. The motion says K.B. has been continuously incarcerated and spent about 10 months in general population with adult males.
The motion says K.B.’s right to a speedy trial began when he was arrested. It also points to Article 3, Section 29(4) of the Mississippi Constitution, which the defense says allows an emergency hearing before a Supreme Court justice when bail is denied before conviction.
The Jones County Circuit Court previously denied K.B.’s request for bond. The court said releasing him could put Dean, described as the only eyewitness, at risk. The judge also cited the possibility of retaliation against K.B. and others.
The court also considered K.B.’s prior juvenile cases. According to the order, he was adjudicated delinquent in 2024 in connection with vehicle theft, fleeing from law enforcement and other offenses. A separate juvenile case involved vehicle theft and burglaries in Hattiesburg, during which a rifle and pistol were reported stolen.
The circuit court said those incidents showed an escalating pattern of behavior and ruled that releasing K.B. would pose a special danger to Dean and the community. The court denied bond and ordered K.B. to remain at a facility in Forrest County, with tutoring provided if available.
Brooks argues that the seriousness of the attempted murder allegation alone is not enough to justify keeping K.B. jailed for so long without a trial. The motion cites a 2007 Mississippi Supreme Court case involving Tyler Edmonds, who was 13 when charged with capital murder and held for 14 months before trial. The motion says the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to bail in that case.
The defense has proposed conditions including GPS monitoring, home confinement, school requirements, no contact with Dean or witnesses, a curfew and a ban on possessing firearms or other weapons.
The motion asks the Supreme Court to require the state to explain why K.B. remains unindicted, when the case will go before a grand jury and why he should continue to be held without bail.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the emergency motion based on the documents provided.
