A New London judge ruled Friday that there is enough evidence to prosecute William A. "Trig" Long for his involvement in the murder of Johnny Amy in Norwich on May 21, 2011.

Judge Patrick J. Clifford made the finding after listening to a day and a half of testimony at a probable cause hearing for Long, 34, of Norwich, who is charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and accessory to commit murder.

The judge noted that the standard of proof for probable cause is not as high as the proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is required to convict Long at trial.

According to testimony, Daquan "Q" Holmes, not Long, was the actual shooter, and that Long was standing with Holmes when Holmes gunned down Amy, 25, at the intersection of Franklin and Oak streets.

Holmes, 25, who was recently arrested in Queens, N.Y., is fighting extradition to Connecticut to face the murder charges, according to prosecutor Stephen M. Carney. In such cases, state officials usually obtain a so-called Governor's Warrant to return the defendant to the state.

According to testimony, Holmes was involved in an altercation outside of Chasers bar on Franklin Street at about closing time. Witnesses said Long retrieved a Ruger .22 pistol at his East Main Street apartment and returned to the Franklin Street area.

Witnesses said Amy, 25, was walking on Franklin Street with another man when Holmes and Long got out of a car, and Holmes shot Amy. Amy's companion, who was not identified at the hearing, told police that Amy was not the intended target of the shooting and that before the shooting, the companion told Holmes and Long, "You got the wrong guys."

Amy died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Witnesses said Long threw the pistol out the window of the getaway car - a black Lexus driven by Holmes' girlfriend - as they fled. Police later recovered the gun in the grass on the northwest corner of Roath and Mullen streets.

Holmes' girlfriend, Maria Fluker, testified that Holmes had forced her to drive him to his grandmother's house in Queens the day after the shooting. He was arrested earlier this month in Queens.

Long, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bond, was arrested in September in Westerly.

After the judge's ruling, defense attorney Peter E. Scillieri entered a not guilty plea on Long's behalf and asked that the case be continued to Nov. 10. The case now moves to the pretrial stage, where attorneys discuss a possible resolution of the charges short of trial.

k.florin@theday.com