Jury deliberations continue in teen set on fire

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Jury deliberations continue in the trial of a teenager accused of orchestrating a burning attack against a middle school classmate.

Seventeen year-old Matthew Bent is charged with attempted second-degree murder in the 2009 attack on Michael Brewer.

Both sides rested their case Monday and the jury began deliberating shortly after. Deliberations continue Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale.

Prosecutors said Bent was trying to sidestep the blame when he offered others money to hurt Brewer. The defense said Bent "has scars" because of the criminal case against him.

Bent and two other teens were charged with second-degree attempted murder, which carries a prison sentence of as many as 30 years. Bent's attorneys insisted he never intended to hurt Brewer, who was 15 at the time of the attack.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)