EL CAJON, Calif., 1:30 p.m. PST March 8, 2001 -- Lawyers for Charles Andrew Williams -- who is accused of going on a deadly shooting rampage at Santana High School -- said that they may challenge the legality of murder and other charges filed against the teen in adult court.

Williams (pictured, below), was quiet, bit his lip and looked down throughout his brief appearance Wednesday in the El Cajon courtroom of Judge Herbert Exarhos, who agreed to postpone the 15-year-old's arraignment until March 26.

"They're trying to explore the section that we've filed under, which mandates the filing of these types of charges in an adult court," Deputy District Attorney Kristin Anton told reporters afterward. "They're trying to explore the constitutionality of that."

The teen known on campus as "Andy" faces 28 counts, including two murder charges and attempted murder, assault and weapons counts, along with special circumstance allegations.

The boy, who is being held without bail, is to be tried as an adult under Proposition 21, the voter-approved initiative that allows prosecutors to charge minors as adults.

Watch The Arraignment

When asked about their possible challenge to Proposition 21, Supervising Public Defender Randy Mize said outside court that "we're just not going to close any doors."

The Santana High freshman, who came to court clad in orange jail-issued garb, is not eligible for the death penalty because of his age.

"(But) if he's convicted on all charges, the murders and the attempted murders with the use of the firearm, he will be looking at over 500 years to life," Anton said.

The prosecutor said that she doesn't anticipate bringing charges against anyone else, including the boy's father, who owns the alleged murder weapon.

"It appears to us, based on the evidence we know today, that the father kept his guns in a locked cabinet inside the home," she said.

"Therefore, the sections governing the negligent storage of firearms wouldn't apply. (The defendant) was able to get them out of a locked cabinet."

As for those who were told of the defendant's alleged plans and did not call authorities, she said that "based on what we know today, there is no evidence of any other criminal responsibility for anyone."

"We know that other people did hear Mr. Williams talk about the fact that he may do this. But in California, it's not a crime to withhold that information or not report that information to the police."

None of the boy's family members attended the hearing, although his father has visited him once in Juvenile Hall for about 30 minutes, Mize said.

"The family, the extended family, has come in from various parts of California. They are here," Mize said. "His father is tremendously distraught, as well as the other family members. At this point in time, they didn't feel that they could face the media."

Should 15-year-old Andy Williams be tried as an adult for the Santana school shooting? Yes No Archive | Disclaimer

The boy's mother, who has been divorced from his father for 10 years, remains in South Carolina. The youth lived with his father and older brother in an apartment near the school.

Public Defender Steve Carroll was asked about the boy's state of mind, and whether he was remorseful.

"That is an area we won't go into," he said.

"You must understand that we have just been appointed on this case. We are on that learning curve. I don't think it's appropriate to talk about this young man, this 15-year-old boy, at this point in time," he added.

Anton also said that she could not discuss the alleged motive or what the teen said during a less than hour-long interview with sheriff's detectives within hours of the shootings.

"We're not going to have a clear motive based on that (interview)," she said.

Anton was asked about possible delays caused by legal challenges to the filing of charges in adult court.

"We have kids that still need to be buried," Anton said. "We have families that need to heal, and we'd like to move this process along as quickly as possible to trial."

Related Stories:

• March 8, 2001: Memorials, Funerals Scheduled For Santana High Victims
• March 7, 2001: Vargas Proposes Emergency Hotline For Schools
• March 7, 2001: Survivors Remember '79 Cleveland Elementary Shooting
• March 7, 2001: Community Mourns Lives Lost In School Shooting
• March 6, 2001: San Diego Community Stunned By School Shooting