Encinitas

A star football player at San Dieguito High School must remain in Juvenile Hall until at least Nov. 30, when a hearing will be held to determine if he will be tried as an adult on charges of assault and witness intimidation.

Juvenile Court Referee Pro-Tem Alan C. Douglas ruled Friday that the 17-year-old La Costa resident cannot be released because he had already been warned not to contact anyone connected with the assault cases against him.

On Thursday, the youth was arrested on campus and charged with threatening a teammate not to testify against him.

Douglas said the youth should remain in Juvenile Hall “for the protection of others.” He will miss the school’s final two football games.

Attorney Lloyd Charton angrily accused the prosecutor of having a vendetta against his client.

“I think the prosecution in this case is weak and they know it,” Charton said. “It’s an attempt to shotgun the charges so something will stick. We have a prosecutor who, for some reason, has decided to pursue a vendetta. . . . Maybe he’s trying to make a career.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. John Davidson said that “every decision made in this case has been made on the evidence.” He added that more accusations of witness intimidation are being probed and more arrests are possible.

“I want to make it clear that we’re not going to tolerate that kind of stuff,” Davidson said.

The defendant, wearing a white sweat shirt from Juvenile Hall, appeared shaken at the hearing. Before the season began, he was considered a prospect for a college football scholarship. One of the incidents of alleged intimidation occured in the school locker room.

On Nov. 30, opposing attorneys will argue whether the defendant should be tried as an adult in Superior Court, which could lead to a state prison sentence if he is convicted.