All four youth charged with second-degree murder in the death of Ahmad Al Marrach will be tried together.
The prosecution notified the court of the move on Tuesday in Halifax.
Lawyers made the decision as one of the teens — a 16-year-old boy, who faces two additional charges of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking — appeared in court.
The four teenagers will enter a plea on their next court date and it remains to be seen whether the case will be heard by a judge or jury.
Their identities are protected from publication under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Their next court appearance will be Friday morning.
Police found the 16-year-old Al Marrach in the parking lot of the Halifax Shopping Centre on April 22. He later died of stab wounds in the hospital.
Al Marrach was a student at Citadel High and moved here from Syria in 2016.
Officers arrested two 16-year-olds on April 22 but later released them.
A few days later, they arrested two 14-year-olds, a boy and a girl, and charged them with second-degree murder.
Then, the police arrest the 16-year-olds again and charged them with second-degree murder.
On Monday, the lawyers four the four teens appear in court to discuss the next steps in the case. The court didn’t have enough room to accommodate everyone who wanted to see the four teens appear. The parents of Ahmad Al Marrach were there, along with people from the community.
Trial options
Anna Mancini, the lawyer for the 16-year-old who appeared Tuesday, said she met with her client on Wednesday. She wants to set trial dates because her client is being held in the Northeast Nova Correctional Centre in Pictou County, an adult jail.
“I’m extremely concerned. I’m really on a mission to find trial dates as soon as possible,” she told the court.
The judge gave some potential weeks in September and early October when the trial could take place, but they still have to be determined.
Crown prosecutor Terry Nickerson, one of three assigned to the file, told the court he thinks all of the accused should be able to decide on a trial date by Friday.
