Phinizee youthful offender hearing set for September

by John Pilati

A former Russellville High School student facing murder and robbery charges is asking a Lauderdale County circuit judge to grant him youthful offender status on the pending charges.

Cameron Leonard Phinizee, 17, filed an application for treatment as a youthful offender on July 31st at an arraignment hearing. Circuit Judge Carole Medley continued the arraignment until after a hearing is held on Phinizee’s youthful offender application on September 11, 2025, at 9 a.m.

Phinizee is charged with Robbery 1st Degree and felony murder relating to the shooting death of 13-year-old Ryland Calvert on March 26, 2025.

Phinizee is not accused of being the shooter. Instead, the indictment alleges that, in the course of committing or attempting to commit robbery, the death of Calvert resulted directly therefrom. He is also accused of attempting to rob a man of Air Pods and/or money, through the use of force or intimidation, while armed with a gun.

The incident occurred in the parking lot of Southern Oaks Apartments in Florence. In order to convict Phinizee, the State of Alabama must prove he took an active part in planning or committing the attempted robbery and that Calvert’s death resulted from those actions, making him legally responsible.

The individual who shot Calvert was not charged with any offense and a Lauderdale County Grand Jury determined he acted in justifiable self-defense.

According to a Florence Police Department spokesman, the department’s investigation determined that Phinizee convinced Calvert to attempt the robbery, something Rebecca Thomason, a Russellville attorney representing Phinizee, denies her client did. Thomason told the FFP her client had no role in any attempted robbery.

Alabama law provides for youthful offender status in cases where a criminal defendant is under the age of 21 at the time of the alleged offense. If granted, youthful offender status is significant for a defendant, as it allows the defendant to avoid a criminal conviction and also seals the file from public access. There can still be a trial, but not before a jury. And the Court may consider rehabilitative treatment in addition to, or in lieu of, prison. The Court may also sentence a defendant to up to three years’ confinement as a youthful offender.

Youthful offender treatment is entirely within the Court’s discretion. Factors considered by the Court include the applicant’s criminal history, if any, the severity of the pending charges, and a report filed by a probation officer after an investigation. Additional considerations can include family structure and support systems, school attendance and history, potential for rehabilitation and the applicant’s ties to the community.

Phinizee, who is represented by Thomason and Tuscumbia attorney Tony Hughes, appeared in court Thursday to enter a not guilty plea and to submit his youthful offender application.

As with any defendant charged with a crime, Phinizee carries the presumption of innocence until, and unless, proven guilty in a court of law.

A conviction for felony murder and/or Robbery 1st Degree carries a prison sentence ranging from 10 years to life.