Seattle attorney to defend accused teen Lawyer also represented Barry Loukaitis

Jake Eakin, the 13-year-old Moses Lake boy awaiting an adult murder trial, has a new attorney from Seattle who has had experience with another high-profile Grant County case.

Michele Shaw was appointed Monday by Superior Court Judge Kenneth Jorgensen to replace Moses Lake attorney Brent De Young, who stated in a court document that he has not yet been paid by the county for his work as a public defender and can no longer afford to take the case.

Shaw represented 14-year-old Barry Loukaitis, who was convicted of killing two students and a teacher at Frontier Middle School in Moses Lake in 1996.

Shaw devotes about 50 percent of her private practice to representing juveniles, and, according to her affidavit, she represents more juvenile clients than any other attorney she knows in King County.

Shaw also offered to charge the cash-strapped county $75 per hour, which is $25 per hour less than the fee paid to Alan White, Eakin's other court-appointed attorney, and fellow defendant Evan Savoie's attorney, Monte Hormel.

Eakin, along with Savoie, is accused of beating and stabbing 13-year-old Craig Sorger in February 2003. Both denied committing the crime.

Eakin is the youngest juvenile in Washington history to be tried in adult court. Both he and Savoie were 12 years old at the time of the crime.

Alan White, the attorney appointed to represent Eakin when Judge John Antosz decided the boys should be tried as adults, wrote in support of Shaw's appointment to the defense team.

"I need help. Jake will not receive the representation that he is entitled to unless I have someone such as Ms. Shaw assisting me with pretrial motions and decisions during trial. I need Ms. Shaw to be my co-counsel for the duration of this case," White wrote.002,OhmSaJe*new eakin attorneyMain_Server002SORT"Ae2AUDTAe”;UD