MONTREAL - A coroner's inquest into the shooting of a Montreal teenager will resume Monday after being bogged down by months of false starts and controversy.
The latest stage in the inquest into the death of 18-year-old Fredy Villanueva will be presided over by Judge Andre Perreault after Judge Robert Sansfacon stepped down in September for health reasons.
Prior to his departure, Judge Sansfacon ordered that the two police officers implicated in the shooting should be questioned first during the inquest.
Unlike other witnesses, officers Stephanie Pilotte and Jean-Loup Lapointe were never directly questioned but instead submitted written statements several days after the events.
It remains unclear whether Judge Perreault will uphold his predecessor's decision.
The inquest got off to a rocky start last May when it was put on hold over concerns on the fairness of the hearings after several key witnesses said they would not participate.
The Villanueva family and their supporters said they would take part only if the government broadened its scope to a public inquest.
Two key witnesses refused to participate until their legal costs were covered.
In July, Quebec offered to foot the legal bills of two victims wounded in the August 2008 shooting.
