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A young teen charged with a brutal slaying made his first appearance in district court — which is for adults — and entered not guilty pleas on Monday.

Antonie Hunter Farani, who was 14 when prosecutors say he shot another man to death and has since turned 15, walked in handcuffed and shackled. He was wearing the same type of Salt Lake County Jail jumpsuits as his two adult co-defendants Spencer Isaiah Cater, 19, and Jeremiah H. Williamson, 27.

Farani was appearing before 3rd District Judge William Barrett for an arraignment, while Cater had a review hearing and Williamson a status conference. Cater and Williamson, who each previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder, a first-degree felony, were further along in the district court proceedings because they were adults when originally charged.

Farani, however, went through a lengthy series of hearings in juvenile court and a judge certified Farani into district court earlier this month to be tried as an adult.

The judge postponed planned trials for February at the request of attorneys for all three men and set a Jan. 25 scheduling conference.

Barrett set the hearing to address issues raised by the various issues regarding each of the three defendants.

A fourth defendant in the case, Shardise Malaga, 19, also faces an identical charge of murder, but she testified against Farani during his certification hearing. She will appear in court Jan. 14.

The four are charged in connection with the February death of JoJo Brandstatt, 18, who was shot almost execution-style after being marched up a hill on a golf course in West Valley City. Prosecutors are convinced that Farani was the ringleader in a daylong crime spree that culminated in Farani firing a gun at Brandstatt repeatedly. Defense attorneys have argued that the much younger Farani was pressured by older gang members.

Outside the courtroom, Farani’s lawyer, Richard Van Wagoner, said he would like to stay on the case, but if it remains a case of “aggravated murder,” then Farani must have an attorney who is qualified as a “Rule 8″ lawyer who can handle death penalty cases.

Because of Farani’s age, however, prosecutors cannot pursue the death penalty if he is convicted. But they can seek a sentence of life without parole if a jury finds him guilty.

Asked about a possible plea bargain, Van Wagoner said he could not discuss that right now. “I’m always happy to listen to prosecutors,” he said.

Farani had been held in a juvenile detention facility, but now is in the Salt Lake County Jail on a $1 million cash-only bail.

e-mail: lindat@desnews.com