One of the Vallejo teens accused of fatally shooting a 16-year-old boy in American Canyon has hired a new attorney, prompting the court to delay the boys’ arraignment for another two weeks.

Junor Douglas, 17, and his brother Marquis Douglas, 16, appeared in court Tuesday morning to be arraigned for the murder of Anthony Gee at a Jan. 27 birthday party in American Canyon.

At the last hearing, Napa Superior Court Judge Rodney Stone appointed Napa defense attorneys Merv Lernhart to represent Marquis Douglas and Michael Keeley to defend Junor Douglas. Since then, the family has retained the services of criminal defense attorney Jim McEntee of Vallejo for Junor Douglas.

McEntee asked for a continuance, stating he had just received about 200 pages of evidence and did not have time to review the documents. “There is still even more discovery that I need to gather and review,” McEntee said.

Lernhart said he had not yet reviewed a large number of witness interviews. He also requested a continuance.

Napa County Deputy District Attorney Doug Pharr, who is prosecuting the case, did not object. Stone granted the delay until March 28. The defendants, who each are being held on $1 million bail, are being housed in juvenile hall. Neither of them has entered a plea in the case.

The Douglas brothers have been charged with one count of murder, attempted murder, shooting into an inhabited dwelling and assault with a firearm. In addition, Junor Douglas is charged with three counts of a special allegation of intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily harm. Marquis Douglas is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a minor.

On Feb. 28, the court ruled the defendants will be charged as adults. If found guilty on the charges, they could face 25 years to life in state prison.

Two other boys arrested in the Gee murder have been charged as accessories to murder. Those teens, both 17, will be tried in the juvenile court system, which is closed to the public. One of these boys is from Vallejo and the other is from American Canyon.

At Tuesday’s hearing, family and friends of the defendants filled one side of the gallery of the courtroom. Security was tight with several bailiffs taking their posts around the courtroom. Before the boys were brought in, Sgt. Steve Blower warned their supporters they were not to have eye contact or make any type of gestures to the defendants.

When the Douglas brothers entered the courtroom dressed in gray sweat pants and shirts, the boys, their feet and hands shackled, quickly took their seats behind the glass partition, in an area blocked from public view.

The boys’ family declined to speak to the Register.

The victims’ parents, Cathy and Leland Gee, and other supporters, sat across the aisle from the Douglas family. Cathy Gee scribbled notes during the short hearing, while frequently dabbing tears from her eyes.

“It is frustrating the case has been continued again,” said Cathy Gee. “But I know it’s going to be a long process.”

It’s been a painful time for Cathy Gee since she received the news her youngest son was dead.

“It’s still so hard for me. Every day I make it through, I consider it a victory that I survived. I write Anthony a letter every night and tell him about my day. It’s like I still get the chance to talk to him everyday, like we did when he was alive,” Gee said. “His friends still keep in touch with me. That gives me a connection to Anthony.”

Gee was among the almost 100 guests — some invited, others not — at a Sweet 16 party on Independence Drive. Words were exchanged among some of the guests. One of them was asked to leave the party. He retrieved a gun and fired into the crowd inside the garage, which was spilling full of people, out to the driveway. The bullet struck Gee in the head. He was taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital and later to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital where he died early the next morning.

Investigators said they do not believe Gee was the intended target of the shooter.