Coutts conspiracy suspects to stand trial in June 2023
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on July 12, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com A trial date has been set for four southern Alberta men accused of conspiring to kill RCMP officers during the protest at the Coutts border in January and February.During Lethbridge Court of Queen’s Bench Monday, Justice C.S. Anderson ordered Christopher Lysak, Anthony Olienick, Jerry Morin and Chris Carbert, to stand trial together next year. The trial is set to last three weeks starting June 12 to June 30, 2023.
Jerry Morin, remains in custody with the co-accused who have previously been denied bail, waiting on Madam Justice J. Kubik’s decision on July 18, on whether he will be released from remand custody pending his trial.
All four men are, by direct indictment, to stand trial in Court of Queen’s Bench. Direct indictment, which was previously filed by the Crown, bypasses the defence option for a preliminary hearing.
The accused were charged in February with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and mischief by impeding the lawful use of property. A person found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder is liable to imprisonment for life.
The charges stem from alleged offences in the Village of Coutts during the border protest, when police seized numerous long guns, handguns, a machete, ammunition, high capacity ammo magazines and body armour.
Nine other individuals were also arrested in relation to the protest and charged with mischief by impeding the lawful use of property and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Ursula Allred, Johnson Chichow Law, Evan Colenutt, Justin Martin, Eastin Stewart Oler, Joanne Person, Janx Zaremba, Luke Berk, and Jaclyne Martin, were released shortly after their arrests, and the matters for all the accused, with the exception of Zaremba and Person, are scheduled to return to provincial court this week. Person’s next court hearing is set for July 25, while Zaremba is set to stand Trial on Dec. 6.
—with files from Delon Shurtz Follow @APulidoHerald on Twitter 4
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