HUDSON, Wis. – Defence attorneys for a 14-year-old Wisconsin girl accused of trying to kill her brother’s girlfriend are fighting a decision to charge her as an adult.

Kali Jade Bookey is charged in St. Croix County Circuit Court with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. She is accused of using shards of two broken bowls to cut the throat of her brother’s girlfriend in New Richmond in the early hours of July 27, when she knew the girl would be home alone.

Authorities say Bookey told investigators she was jealous of her brother’s relationship with the 15-year-old girl and that she told her victim she was a psychopath looking for her first kill. Bookey also asked the victim if she wanted to die immediately or bleed out, according to the complaint.

Bookey was shackled and dressed in a T-shirt and jeans for a hearing Monday. Afterward, defence attorney John Kucinski said he’ll try to move her case to juvenile court. She could face up to 40 years in prison if she’s convicted as an adult.

He said it made no sense to automatically treat a 14-year-old as an adult.

“The only purpose of treating them as an adult is to punish someone, so that’s illogical,” Kucinski said. “But, I think the judge is good, I think he’s a thoughtful person. I think we’ll find out a lot more.”

Anyone 10 or older charged with first-degree attempted homicide is automatically considered an adult under Wisconsin law.

While the next hearing is set for Aug. 31, it could be months before the judge decides whether Bookey should be tried as an adult.

New Richmond is 45 miles east of Minneapolis in western Wisconsin.