TEEN ALLEGEDLY TOOK LSD BEFORE RAMPAGE

Youth Thought He Had Died And Gone To Hell, Attorney Says

The teen-ager who allegedly stole a vehicle and ran down pedestrians at the
San Luis Obispo Farmers Market last month was likely high on acid and "out
of his mind" as he drove, his attorney said Friday.

Lawyer Duffy Littlejohn said the 16-year-old was hallucinating, and thought
he had died and gone to hell.

"Based on all the evidence before us at this time, it appears as if Casey
Henderson had taken two hits of LSD for the first time in his life."

Henderson, of Avila Beach, appeared in Superior Court briefly Friday for
confirmation of a preliminary hearing on Monday.

He faces nine felonies stemming from the April 20 incident that left one
man seriously hurt and injured three others. The charges are two counts of
assault, two counts of hit-and-run driving, driving under the influence,
auto theft, disobeying a police officer, evading arrest and burglary.

The District Attorney's Office said Henderson broke into the British Sports
Cars shop on Marsh Street, stole a Land Rover and took off on a reckless
ride through the downtown.

Steve Sketo, a San Luis Obispo man, has not been able to walk since the
wreck because both of his legs were broken when the Land Rover struck him.

Deputy District Attorney Karen Gray said she did not want to talk about the
details of the case while it is pending. But she has previously told the
court that the allegations are serious because they entail using a vehicle
as a deadly weapon resulting in injuries.

Littlejohn said Henderson's bizarre behavior may have resulted from LSD
that the teen acquired at Mission Plaza the night the crime occurred. He
would not say how his client may have obtained the drug.

LSD, discovered in 1938, is an extremely potent hallucinogenic, according
to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. The illegal psychedelic drug can cause
panic and distortions in vision, sometimes leading users to feel anxious,
confused or terrified.

"The results are obvious," said Littlejohn. "LSD is a dangerous drug
because it is so obviously unpredictable."

Littlejohn said Henderson may have been hallucinating when the alleged
event occurred.

"With the information that I have now, it appears as if he was completely
out of his mind."

Drug use can be a defense in certain crimes that entail intent. But the
District Attorney's Office said it did not file charges that involve intent.

Henderson is the first San Luis Obispo County minor charged directly in
adult court under Proposition 21, which allows prosecutors to skip prior
juvenile court hearings in some cases involving minor defendants.

Littlejohn said the law violates Henderson's constitutional rights and he
plans to contest it to the state Supreme Court if necessary. "We plan to
take this issue all the way," he said.

Under the proposition, Littlejohn will have an opportunity after the
preliminary hearing to tell a judge why the case should be sent back to
juvenile court.

While Henderson faces a preliminary hearing Monday, his family also faces a
$5.4 million civil lawsuit that was filed by Sketo last week.

Henderson had previously worn an orange jail jumpsuit at his court
appearances, but the high school sophomore arrived in court Friday wearing
a sport coat and a tie. He sat with his father during the proceeding.
Outside of court, Henderson appeared upbeat, talking with his attorney.

His family posted bail after Superior Court Judge Barry LaBarbera lowered
the amount from $100,000 to $75,000 last week.

"We are extremely happy to see Casey out of custody," Littlejohn said, "and
we are hoping he can pick up the pieces of his young life as we hope the
community can pick up the pieces."