BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

The civil lawsuit over the death of 3-year-old KJ Starkes, who died in July after being left in a hot car for hours, is moving forward to trial in Birmingham after a judge deemed motions to dismiss premature.

The lawsuit names nine defendants, including Kela Stanford, the woman accused of leaving Starkes in the hot car, several DHR workers, and Covenant Services Inc., the transportation company Stanford was contracted with. The plaintiffs say the case is about accountability, aiming to hold those who may have played a part in Starkes' death responsible.

Judge Ballard heard arguments for four motions to dismiss, each related to different defendants. One major argument for dismissing the case against DHR workers is that some had little to nothing to do with Starkes' DHR

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