One of five youths accused of murdering fifth-year Mathematics graduate student Al-Moez Alimohamed last year will stand trial in juvenile court Monday, according to Mathematics Department Graduate Chairperson Wolfgang Ziller. Alimohamed was shot last August after five males robbed him of a small amount of money and personal belongings while he was walking to his apartment at 48th and Pine streets. Khaalis Edmonson, 17, is the only suspect being tried as a juvenile. The other four suspects are scheduled to be tried as adults on January 8, Ziller said. Students and faculty interested in watching the trial can catch a University shuttle bus at David Rittenhouse Laboratories leaving at 8:45 a.m. for the Court of Common Pleas Family Court Division, which is located at 1801 Vine St. Ziller said that he expected the trial to only last one day because there is no jury in juvenile court. Ziller added that he feels "it is unfortunate that Edmonson is not being tried as an adult." Edmonson's attorney argued that the youth had left the scene of the crime before the fatal bullet was fired and therefore should not bear the full brunt of the law, Ziller said. But he added that Philadelphia Police were unclear if Edmonson had actually fled from the crime scene. Philadelphia District Attorney's Office spokesperson Bill Devol said last year that although juvenile criminal offenders are usually released from prison at age 21, juveniles tried as adults can receive full prison sentences after their term in juvenile detention. Former Mathematics Graduate Chairperson Ted Chinburg described Alimohamed as "one of the most dynamic students I have even met." Chinburg said that Alimohamed was at once ambitious and charming. "He knew where he wanted to go and he didn't let anything stand in his way," he said. Chinburg remembered that Alimohamed would bargain with him to take more of the courses that appealed to him. In the end, Chinburg said that he always gave in because Alimohamed had a "way of carrying people along with his enthusiasm." Alimohamed would have received his doctorate in mathematics last June. Ziller, who described Alimohamed as "a very special person and a great teacher," established a World Wide Web site for Alimohamed. The Web site includes a photo of Alimohamed, news articles and trial information. The Web site is "http://www.math. upenn.edu/~wziller/moez.html". Ziller said through the Web site donations have been received from friends on campus and around the world. A fund in honor of Alimohamed has raised over $20,000, Ziller said. A friend from Japan saw the Web site and gave money, Ziller said. "He had friends around the world," Ziller said. The money has already funded a graduate teaching award for mathematics in Alimohamed's name, Ziller said. A reference library for teaching assistants in Alimohamed's memory is planned to open in September. Books are currently being purchased with the money, Ziller said. Chinburg said that a group of Alimohamed's friends from the Mathematics Department are going to the trial Monday.
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