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Delaware Official Rejects Juvenile Appeal in Murder Case

Joe Gratz

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - A Delaware court commissioner is recommending that a judge deny an appeal from a man convicted of murder for a killing committed when he was 17.

Joshua Gonzalez was sentenced to more than 55 years in prison for the March 2016 shooting of 22-year-old Christian Serrano in Wilmington. The state Supreme Court last week upheld the conviction of his codefendant, Jose Moreta, who's serving life in prison.

In a Facebook post two days after the shooting, Gonzalez bragged about it and warned that anyone messing "wit tha gang" would "end up in a box."

Gonzalez argued in his appeal that his defense attorney was ineffective.

In a report issued Thursday, the commissioner recommended that a judge deny Gonzalez's motion for postconviction relief, noting that his defense attorney refuted Gonzalez's claims.

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Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.