Connecticut teen to stand trial for prep school athlete's murder that has 'shaken' parents, schools: attorney

A Connecticut teen will stand trial Monday for the murder of a Fairfield Prep lacrosse sportsman following a booze-fueled house party and a spat between students from different schools James McGrath was fatally stabbed on May in front of a Shelton home on Laurel Glen Drive after a fight broke out between underage students who had been consuming alcohol that evening Raul Eliah Valle of Milford who was at the time of the stabbing has been charged with one count of murder and two counts of first-degree assault for allegedly stabbing McGrath and others Valle attended St Joseph High School in Trumbull near Fairfield Prep where McGrath was a junior Fox News Digital has reached out to Valle's attorney Kevin Smith for comment Unfortunately in the suburbs of big cities house parties are very common and kids will be kids but certainly a murder circumstance like this is very peculiar Connecticut criminal defense attorney Mark Sherman advised Fox News Digital I'm a little bit biased but I think it's fair to say there presumably wasn't an intent to kill in a episode like this There certainly might've been an intent to engage in a fight or to scare to use weapons but it's hard to believe that there was an intent to kill DEADLY STABBING OF PREP SCHOOL TRAINEE BLAMED ON PARENTS WHO HOSTED BOOZE-FUELED HOUSE PARTY LAWSUITSherman believes that Valle's attorneys will argue that he was acting in self-defense and prosecutors will argue that Valle brought a knife to a fist fight and let his aggression spiral out of control It's really shaken these schools in particular Both sets of kids were all really well-regarded Sherman revealed They were all good kids They had a lot of school spirit Several were athletes and it's also really shaken parents who tend to host parties and gatherings and kind of raises the level of vigilance because anything can happen CONNECTICUT PARENTS ARRESTED IN PREP SCHOOL STUDENT'S DEATH AT HOUSE PARTY STABBINGConnecticut-based criminal defense attorney Allan Friedman noted that Connecticut has a duty to retreat law which is essentially the opposite of stand your ground laws in other states requiring residents who feel they are under a threat to retreat from the situation before using force against another person He also noted that Valle who was a minor at the time of the alleged crimes faces a mandatory minimum of years in prison if convicted on all charges Both Sherman and Friedman also emphasized the prospective dangers of social hosting as it related to McGrath's murder CONNECTICUT HIGH SCHOOL STABBING RAUL VALLE POSTS M BOND IN DEATH OF JAMES MCGRATH REPORTShelton police in arrested Paul Leifer and Susanna Leifer and charged them with permitting minors to possess alcohol Susanna Leifer was also charged with second-degree reckless endangerment after McGrath's death They are also facing several lawsuits in connection with the crime after allegedly providing minors with alcohol Last year the couple were sentenced to two years of accelerated rehabilitation plus hours of region institution according to WTNH On or about May Defendants hosted a social gathering at their home on the premises during which a substantial amount of alcohol was served to and consumed by individuals under the age of states a lawsuit filed by Thomas Connery the father of another minor who was stabbed that evening in After the fight at the Leifers' house in Shelton teenagers described as St Joseph High School students arrived at another party on Laurel Glen Drive in Shelton Another fight ensued at the Laurel Glen Drive house where four students were stabbed including McGrath who died of his injuries according to a police analysis that Fox News Digital obtained at the time Connery's lawsuit further alleges that after a fight broke out at the Leifers' home the two parents allowed the party attendees who had been drinking to leave the premises instead of emerging up the fight calling police or taking otherwise appropriate action CONNECTICUT HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE CONTESTANT JAMES MCGRATH LAID TO REST AFTER TRUMBULL FUNERAL MASSIn a second lawsuit one of the minors who was harmed after the Leifers' party and his father similarly allege that the Leifers knew they were supplying alcohol to people who were underage at their home on May Police responded to several calls reporting a fight that occurred just before midnight on May outside the Laurel Glen Drive property and revealed multiple casualties on the front lawn The owner of the residence where the party took place was home at the time of the development according to a warrant At one point there were about people engaged in the fight on the front lawn of the home bystanders notified police At least three juvenile persons are mentioned in the review including Valle who is suspected of having a knife McGrath had one stab wound to the left side of the chest the warrant states The stab wound went through the rib and heart A expert from the Office of the Chief Medicinal Examiner of Connecticut stated police that there were approximately liters of blood in McGrath's lungs WATCH Now that kids are coming up on graduation season a lot of more affluent people they do not understand the dangers associated with so-called social hosting Friedman disclosed Providing or permitting the consumption of alcohol by minors the way the law can make it now is if you're holding events and let's just say it's three or four kids at your house and then all of a sudden everyone goes on Instagram or Facebook whatever these kids use these days and they all say 'Hey There's a party at this house ' and then all of a sudden a huge group of people show up in Ubers Under Connecticut law parents have a responsibility to stop the procession of alcohol or call police Friedman explained but sometimes parents are reluctant to do that CONNECTICUT HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE CONTESTANT MURDER EXPERTS SAY LEGAL CONSEQUENCES FOR PARTY HOST PARENTSBoth attorneys noted that on top of the threat of criminal charges parents who engage in social hosting and provide alcohol to minors can also face civil consequences if minors are injured at an event with underage drinking where parents were present A representative from St Joseph's described Fox News Digital in that Valle had been in good academic standing and had not been in any fights at school before the May happening Valle was disclosed on million bond just days after his arrest in May An obituary for McGrath described the -year-old as the sunshine of his parents' life and his sister's best friend and confidant Countless described Jim as a wonderfully happy person with a big heart who was a loving friend to multiple the obituary states He loved his school Fairfield Prep and he excelled as an athlete in every sport he chose He played football and lacrosse for Fairfield Prep and as a youth for Shelton and Connecticut Wolves as well He understood the meaning of being part of a organization Fox News' Michael Ruiz contributed to this statement