photo credit: Noah Abrams/KRCB
Los Guillicos Juvenile Justice Center in Kenwood.

Less than 24 hours after Santa Rosa City Schools officials held a marathon hearing on school safety, the teen who’s actions catalyzed a flood of public outcry over violence in Santa Rosa schools, was back with his family after over nine months in custody.

The former Montgomery High student was cleared of voluntary manslaughter in late November.

A Sonoma County juvenile court judge, in what he called his most challenging decision in 18 years, ruled the now 16 year old student had acted in self defense.

The judge did find the student at fault for felony weapon possession for bringing a knife onto school campus.

The teenager’s defense attorney Jonathan Steele, spoke outside the courtroom, and said he’s looking at what comes next.

"I hope both families can really start to heal," Steele said. "It's been horrible for everybody 'cause it really was a tragedy."

The student is now on probation, likely for at least a year, and he's been ordered to enter into rehabilitation and gang prevention programs as part of the release to his parents' custody.

Steele said he is confident of the teen's prospect at rehabilitation.

"I understand the concern and quite frankly, it's not gonna be an issue," Steele said. "He's gonna do fine, and what he told the probation, he goes, 'I can't imagine if my parents were told that I was gone and they lost me.'"

Steele said he thinks attention now needs to be focused on creating safe learning environments for other students.

"There's problems all the way from elementary school all the way through middle school, obviously in the news lately," Steele said. "So there really has to be a revamping and that's the elephant in the room, is what are they gonna do about the system, 'cause quite frankly, it's broken right now."

An attorney for the family of the deceased student addressed the court on their behalf, with a statement expressing their continued pain, and displeasure with the judge’s ruling in the case.