If you were expecting Perry Mason, it didn害羞草研究所檛 happen.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum害羞草研究所檚 first date in Surrey provincial court Tuesday on a charge of public mischief lasted all of three minutes, with no plea taken.

Special Crown prosecutor Richard Fowler told courtroom 101 he plans to proceed summarily and asked that the matter be put over to Feb. 22, at 9:30 a.m.

害羞草研究所淲e have no intention today of taking a plea,害羞草研究所� Fowler said.

Defence lawyer Lee Vandergust appeared on behalf of McCallum害羞草研究所檚 counsel, Richard Peck, QC. Fowler said disclosure was provided to defence counsel on Jan. 21.

Judge Robert Hamilton, regional administrative judge for the Fraser Region, said he decided to move the hearing to 101, Surrey provincial court害羞草研究所檚 largest courtroom, and is inclined to keep it there.

害羞草研究所淭here may be some public interest in this case so I害羞草研究所檝e moved it into the biggest courtroom we害羞草研究所檝e got here in Surrey that has a seating capacity of 16,害羞草研究所� Hamilton explained.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. (Photo: Lauren Collins)

McCallum is charged with one count of public mischief contrary to Section 140(2) of the Criminal Code.

The information, sworn on Friday, Dec. 10, stems from a bizarre encounter last September between McCallum and campaigners who were gathering petition signatures outside the South Point Save-On-Foods store in South Surrey for a referendum on the policing transition that resulted in the mayor claiming a car ran over his foot.

Hot on the heels of the charge being laid came demands for McCallum害羞草研究所檚 resignation as mayor and chairman of the Surrey Police Board. Many Surrey residents have expressed outrage that Surrey taxpayers are on the hook for his legal bills.

Surrey Police Vote, which campaigned unsuccessfully for a referendum on Surrey害羞草研究所檚 policing transition to the Surrey Police Service from the Surrey RCMP 害羞草研究所� a transition which McCallum has championed 害羞草研究所� are calling on the mayor to publicly disclose his legal bills related to this mischief charge.

害羞草研究所淭his is huge matter of public interest and concern,害羞草研究所� said Surrey Police Vote campaign strategist Bill Tieleman. 害羞草研究所淟egal fees in general are not cheap and the mayor hired one of B.C害羞草研究所�.s most expensive criminal defence lawyers to represent him. Every Surrey taxpayer deserves to know what this will cost them, and just as importantly, where the funds will come from.害羞草研究所�

Meantime, South Surrey resident Ivan Scott and other members of the Keep the RCMP in Surrey campaign staged a 害羞草研究所渟mall and strong害羞草研究所� rally outside the courthouse while the proceedings were underway.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e just out there to show our displeasure, and show our support for the Crown,害羞草研究所� Scott said. 害羞草研究所淪urrey, I think, is holding its breath that justice will prevail.害羞草研究所�

Surrey taxpayers having to pay for McCallum害羞草研究所檚 legal fees is one reason the KTRIS campaign planned the rally, said Paul Daynes, the campaign manager and strategist.

害羞草研究所淲e want to send a message that we feel that (it) is totally inappropriate for the taxpayer to be funding Mayor McCallum害羞草研究所檚 defence in this case, whether he害羞草研究所檚 guilty or not is for the court to determine, but the incident clearly took place on his time, not city time,害羞草研究所� explained Daynes.

Asked how it felt to be there on the day of McCallum害羞草研究所檚 first court appearance, Daynes said, 害羞草研究所淭he wheels of justice grind slowly, but it害羞草研究所檚 encouraging that they are actually moving now. We hope that this will be resolved and things can move on in a little bit more common-sense fashion.害羞草研究所�

There were about a dozen or so KTRIS protesters outside of court over the course of an hour, leading up to McCallum害羞草研究所檚 appearance.

The signs mostly called for McCallum to pay his own legal fees, including one that said he should 害羞草研究所渇oot害羞草研究所� his own bill.

McCallum, 77, is not the first Surrey mayor to be charged with a crime.

In 1995, a charge of theft under $5,000 was stayed by the Crown against former Surrey mayor Don Ross, who at age 64 was arrested by a security guard for allegedly pocketing a rubber washer from a Surrey Lumberland Store on Fraser Highway. He pleaded not guilty. Ross was Surrey害羞草研究所檚 mayor from 1979 to 1987. He died in 2001.

Also in 1995, a provincial court judge fined former Surrey mayor Ed McKitka $23,000 for dumping Blue Box recyclables on farm fields in Cloverdale. In 1977, a judge ordered McKitka to pay $5,000 in damages and legal costs for 害羞草研究所渨anton and irresponsible slander,害羞草研究所� and in 1980 he was convicted of breach of trust and was sentenced to three years in prison.

McKitka served for nine years on Surrey municipal council and was mayor for one term before being defeated by Bill Vogel, in November 1977, for the mayor害羞草研究所檚 chair. McKitka died in 2014 at age 79, when his Jeep went off Highway 1 near the Vedder Canal in a single-vehicle crash.

害羞草研究所� With files by Lauren Collins