Campbell County High

When the Judge Blackwood announced his decision, the courtroom filled with applause.

Mike Hatmaker, Bartley's former attorney who helped broker the plea deal testified the 15-year old knew what he was getting into.

"He wanted to do this. Absolutely," says Hatmaker.

District Attorney General Paul Phillips asked during Monday's proceeding, "Any question in your mind?"

"No," replied Hatmaker.

According to his new defense attorney, Bruce Poston, the teen didn't completely understand them before taking the offer.

Poston says, "On March 25th you turned down a deal that was 25 years for second degree murder and 10 years and 10 years for attempted second degree murder."

Bartley replied, "Yes sir."

"On April 10th you said I'll take the deal. Why?," asked Poston.

Bartley answered, "I was scared cause I was looking at two life sentences."

Kenneth Bartley Jr.'s new attorney has taken the next step toward withdrawing his client's guilty plea.

Bruce Poston has amended a motion filed by Bartley's old attorney explaining why the plea should be withdrawn.

Included in the motion, arguments made previously that Bartley Jr.'s parents didn't consent to the plea.

And new arguments that Bartley didn't know lesser convictions could carry lesser punishments.

Poston also argues that Bartley Jr.'s former attorney Mike Hatmaker pressured Bartley Jr. to accept the last-minute deal without consulting with anyone, especially his parents.

Kenneth Bartley met with Knoxville attorney Bruce Poston this week. Poston agreed to take over the case from Michael Hatfield.

Bartley was sentenced to 45 years in prison, as part of a plea bargain last month. However, Poston says that's "no bargain" for Bartley who only faced six more years if he lost at trial.

On July 2nd, Poston will try to convince a judge the teen didn't "knowingly or voluntarily" agree to the terms, and that he turned down a similar offer in the presence of his parents.

Fifteen year-old Kenneth Bartley is accused of killing Assistant Principal Ken Bruce and wounding two other school administrators in 2005.

On Friday, a Campbell County judge agreed to move his case from juvenile to adult court.

Judge Davis, who proceeded over the trial, explained his judgment, "The well being of this community and well being of any community where Mr. Bartley would reside is at risk without his confinement" said Davis. "Therefore the court finds that the long range, long term monitoring and treatment of Mr. Bartley is essential and this treatment would best be accomplished in the adult system."

Judge Davis also said that Bartley has had many discipline issues while in jail, including possession of a weapon. He also says that the 15 year old did not want to be treated or receive help.

Seale soon found himself distracted by a tardy student who showed up at the guard shack. Meanwhile, Bartley had arrived at Pierce's office. Pierce again radioed Seale, who headed to Pierce's office.

"Mr. Bruce walked in behind me," Seale said. "Little Kenny was sitting in a chair. I asked him what was going on."

Seale took a seat next to Bartley. Bruce stood near the door. Pierce was seated behind his desk.

"I just told Kenny, 'I want what you have in your pocket,' " Pierce testified.

Bartley reached for his pocket. Seale did, too, but Bartley swatted his hand away and pulled out a gun, Seale testified.

"Kenny stood up with the gun, waving it at all of us," Pierce said.

Bruce moved from the door to the back of the room, Seale said.

"I was like, 'Little Kenny, is that real?' " Seale testified. "He was like, 'I'll show you. I don't like you anyway.' "

Seale and Pierce testified that Bartley then reached into his pocket, pulled out an ammunition clip, loaded the gun and opened fire. Seale was struck in the groin. Bruce was struck in the chest. Pierce was shot in the side and hand while wrestling Bartley to the floor.

Campbell County Sheriff's Department Deputy Darrell Mongar testified that Bartley had 10 Xanax pills in his pocket. Xanax is a brand name for a prescription narcotic sedative.

Under questioning by defense attorney Mike Hatmaker, Mongar described Bartley's reaction once handcuffed.

"He started crying," Mongar said. "He stated that he had stolen his father's gun and brought it to school to trade for Oxycontin (an opiate-based prescription painkiller). He said none of this would have happened if he hadn't taken (two of) the Xanaxes."

Pierce, an assistant principal, testified today in Campbell County Juvenile Court that he summoned Bartley to his office after receiving a tip the boy was armed.

"I just told Kenny I want what you have in your pocket," Pierce testified.

Bartley brandished a gun, Pierce said.

"Kenny stood up with the gun waving it at all of use," he testified.

"Mr. Seale asked him if it was real. He said yes it’s real, I’ll show you I never liked you anyway."

Pierce said Bartley reached into his pocket, pulled out an ammunition clip and popped it into the gun and started shooting.

The wife of the assistant principal killed at Campbell County High School is suing his accused teenage killer.

Jo Bruce filed a wrongful death suit against 15-year-old Kenneth Bartley. Bartley is charged with shooting Ken Bruce to death at the school last November. Bruce is also suing Bartley's parents, Kenny Bartley and Rita Vannoy. In the suit, she claims they were negligent.

Jo Bruce is asking a jury to determine the amount of damages.

In March Bartley agreed to be tried in adult court, but now he wants a hearing on the matter. So the case will at least temporarily go back to juvenile court. Thursday the judge set April tenth as a tentative trial date if the case comes back to adult court.

"If they want to have a hearing in juvenile court, we don't want to deny them any right, but we're confident that we'll have the trial in April here in criminal court," said District Attorney General Paul Phillips.

A 14-year-old boy on Friday pleaded innocent in the killing of a high school administrator and the wounding of two others in November.

Kenneth Bartley stood quietly with his head down during an arraignment in Campbell County Criminal Court at Jacksboro. Defense attorney Mike Hatmaker told Judge Shayne Sexton that Bartley was pleading innocent to a seven-count indictment that included first-degree murder.

The indictment accuses Kenneth Bartley of first-degree murder in the shooting of Assistant Principal Ken Bruce after being called to the office at Campbell County Comprehensive High School.

In the indictment he is also charged with another count of felony murder of Bruce while committing attempted murder on the other two men injured, Principal Gary Seale and Assistant Principal Jim Pierce.

Kenny Bartley, Jr. was scheduled for a transfer hearing Wednesday to determine whether he would be tried as an adult.

However, Bartley's attorney, Mike Hatmaker, waived the hearing. He told the judge there was no need to re-live the events of the shootings and waiving the hearing was best for Bartley and his family, since it was likely the state would have won.

The state had no objection so the judge ordered the transfer.