The Court of Appeals of Indiana has issued a unanimous opinion that the conviction of a Cromwell youth be reversed.

The high court today issued its ruling that Paul Henry Gingerich’s conviction for conspiracy to commit murder as a class A felony be reversed. The court orders Gingerich remanded back to the juvenile court of Kosciusko County for further proceedings.

Gingerich, now 14, was just 12 years old when he was convicted for the 2010 shooting death of Philip Danner. Also convicted was Colt Lundy, Danner’s stepson. Lundy was 15 at the time of the shooting.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office, which represents the prosecution on appeal, is reviewing the opinion and has not yet decided whether to seek transfer to the Indiana Supreme Court. Today Zoeller issued this statement:

“Among the most disheartening cases seen in the criminal justice system are those involving young people charged with extremely violent crimes. For prosecutors and judges, these are among the most difficult cases as well in terms of balancing the rights of the juvenile with the safety of the community. We will carefully review our options after consulting with the county prosecutor and conducting further research,” Zoeller said. 

Gingerich will remain in custody pending further order of the court.