Man being held in dry cell can’t make court appearance

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on September 28, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A 32-year-old Lethbridge man arrested last weekend during a traffic stop, was unable to appear in a Lethbridge courtroom Thursday because he hadn’t been medically cleared.
Court was told the accused, Jamey Kenneth Jensen, was in a dry cell at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre and unable to appear in court because he was suspected of carrying contraband.
“(He) is believed to have things in his body that he’s not allowed to have in this centre, and it would be contraband introduced to the regular population,” an LCC officer told court. “So until he’s cleared medically, that he doesn’t have those things in his body anymore, he will be in a dry cell procedure and not available for court.”
Duty counsel said she will attempt to contact Jensen at the jail, and the matter was adjourned until today in anticipation the accused will have been cleared to attend court.
Jensen was arrested just before midnight Saturday after Alberta sheriffs saw a vehicle speeding along Metis Trail near Jerry Potts Boulevard and conducted a traffic stop. The driver appeared intoxicated and refused to get out of his vehicle.
The Lethbridge Police Service was contacted and confirmed the driver was subject to a lifetime firearms and weapons prohibition. Officers saw a rifle case in plain view inside the vehicle, and during a search police seized a loaded rifle with an overcapacity magazine, a second magazine, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a ballistic vest, balaclava, baton and handcuffs. The driver was arrested without incident.
Jensen is charged with four counts of possession of a prohibited firearm, two counts unauthorized possession of a prohibited/restricted weapon, and single counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm/weapon obtained by an offence, and possession of body armor without a valid permit.
Jensen’s first court appearance was set for Monday, but he was in dry cell then, as well, and unable to attend.

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