Preliminary hearing for teen accused of killing Devan Selvey set for November 2020

After fears a judge shortage would stall court proceedings for the killing of Devan Selvey into next year, the preliminary hearing for the accused 14-year-old is set to start in November 2020.

Representatives for the Crown and the defendants in court on Wednesday listed a number of earlier dates this year that fell through due to other commitments.

The 14-year-old accused of killing Selvey will return to court on May 27 to determine whether his trial is before a jury of judge alone. Then, the preliminary hearing will begin on Nov. 5 at Hamilton's John Sopinka Courthouse.

A preliminary hearing is held to determine if there is enough evidence to take a case to a trial. It is typically done under a publication ban.

At an appearance in February, Justice Marjoh Agro warned a shortage of judges would mean the earliest date for a preliminary hearing would be January, 2021. The new date moves that forward several months. 

"It's [a] relief [the hearing] is going a little earlier than planned, "Laurie Dennison, the mother of Devan's girlfriend, tells CBC News.

"It would be nice to have this over completely and justice served."

She and other family friends of Devan Selvey sat to one side of the courtroom while people linked to the accused sat on the side — both parties scowled at each other.

But Brian Allen, a cousin of Selvey's mother, says their prime focus is that "justice prevails."

"We've all got a few choice words, but we've got to keep it under wraps ... we're fighting for Devan, we're not fighting for anyone else," he says.

The 14-year-old stood in the prisoner's box with his feet shackled together while silently staring forward.

Police arrested him and his 18-year-old brother on Oct. 7 after the fatal stabbing at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.

Selvey's family want more attendance at HWDSB bullying review sessions

After Selvey's death, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board created a bullying review panel that is hosting 20 meetings to investigate how local schools handle bullying.

"We're fighting to get rules changes int he board and to make [families] feel more comfortable when their kids go back to school," Allen says.

Dennison says her daughter just returned to school and can't bear staying a full day.

She adds Selvey's family will meet with the board privately to recommend their own changes.

"They can have the best panel, and I do believe it's a good panel and I know they want change but ... their recommendations are only as good as what the board is willing to take."