The hearing will determine whether the male teen suspect will be tried as an adult. Proceedings are expected to last about five court days, with prosecutors planning to call close to 15 witnesses.
Cameras were not permitted inside the courtroom. The suspect's mother sat in the front row, while Caleb Quick's family sat on the opposite side. The teen entered the courtroom in handcuffs, wearing a purple shirt.
Caleb's father, Stephen Quick, said it was difficult to confront the person accused of killing his son.
"We're going to have to relive a couple more times, go through the whole scenario again. It's going to be tough," Stephen Quick said.
"He's alive and doing well, and you know my son's not here," he added.
The upcoming hearing comes less than a month after a judge ruled that a teenage girl accused of being the getaway driver in the case will not be tried as an adult.
Stephen Quick said he is not optimistic about the outcome, criticizing what he described as a low transfer rate within California's juvenile justice system.
"It seems like it doesn't matter what these kids do; the court says that they're able to rehabilitate, and it's up to the district attorney's office to prove they're not," he said.
As the hearing approaches, Stephen Quick also addressed the possibility that allegations of sexual assault involving his son could be raised again during proceedings. He said he believes those claims are being used as a defense tactic.
"The fact is they're not even trying to provide a defense that their client did this; they're saying why. Why are we going to believe a murderer?" he said.
The male suspect will remain in custody. The judge granted him one phone call with his mother during today's proceedings.
The female suspect's trial in juvenile court is set to begin July 28th.
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