PARIS — A local teen charged in connection with a car chase that left a Norway police officer seriously injured is expected to appear before a judge later this summer.

Andrew Emerson, 18, could appear at an adjudication hearing as early as next month on a single felony count of aggravated eluding an officer. 

Police say Norway police officer Stephen Cronce was monitoring traffic last December when he observed a Mercedes speeding on Waterford Road. Cronce followed and, in the ensuing chase, hit a patch of sand, slid off the road and crashed into a clump of trees. 

Cronce was severely injured in the incident and has not returned to duty. 

Police later identified the vehicle as belonging to Emerson’s mother, Cathy Scribner. At the time of the incident, police say there were three juvenile passengers in the vehicle. 

Emerson was charged by police in February. He is being tried as a juvenile because he was 17 at the time. An additional felony count of driving to endanger has been dismissed. 

There is no jury trial in juvenile cases. A judge determines whether the evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt a crime was committed. If so, the court can find that a juvenile crime was committed, and schedule a hearing to determine what, if any, penalty is warranted.

While an adult charged with the same offense could face up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, adjudication of a juvenile offense is not a conviction. Possible penalties could include a work-service program or placement in a detention facility. Gregory Braun, Emerson’s attorney, said they had not reached an agreement with prosecutors.

In an unrelated case, Emerson was arrested for domestic violence assault and reckless conduct stemming from a July 6 incident in Waterford. Emerson, who turned 18 in February, is being tried as an adult in that case. Details for those charges have been sealed pending an initial court appearance in August.

ccrosby@sunjournal.com  

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