Delaware County Court Judge Frank T. Hazel ruled Friday that Jahmir Ricks, who had suffered frequent beatings at his brother's hands, could benefit from counseling and other services offered by a program in the juvenile department. Hazel cited the recommendation of Peter Pitts, administrative supervisor of the county Office of Juvenile Probation, who testified that Ricks could be rehabilitated by the time he reaches 21.

"While early involvement in aggressive behavior is a significant predictor of future criminality, in this case, at the current age of 14, defendant is also young enough to benefit from intensive, sustained treatment for more than six years," Hazel wrote.

A nonprofit private program for juveniles in Harrisburg has agreed to accept Ricks, according to Hazel's ruling. The program, called Alternative Rehabilitative Communities, offers personal and family counseling as well as education in a maximum-security environment alongside other teenagers, some of whom have also been charged with violent crimes, according to the ruling.

The commonwealth will decide in the next 10 days whether to appeal Hazel's decision to the Superior Court, Deputy District Attorney Daniel J. McDevitt said. Hazel's order becomes final in 30 days.

Ricks was 13 when he stabbed his brother, Antwan, 16, with a kitchen knife. Ricks admitted the stabbing to police and was arrested and charged as an adult with first- and third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and related counts. He could have faced life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder as an adult, but as a juvenile, he would serve no more than seven years of prison and supervision.

If no appeal is filed, Ricks will be transferred within 10 days from the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, where he has been held since his arrest, to the Juvenile Detention Center in Lima. In juvenile court, Ricks can request a trial or admit guilt to a charge that prosecutors and defense attorneys agree on. A judge, not a jury, would hear his case and, if he is found guilty, decide his sentence.

Psychologists who evaluated Ricks during recent court hearings recommended up to five years in a secure, structured residential environment with counseling and significant academic support. Ricks would then be transferred to a less structured environment and later to a group home and foster care.