Media shops look ahead to August court docket determination on Coutts, Alta. warrant particulars

A call on whether or not or not media shops can acquire and publish data in a redacted model of 4 Coutts, Alta., blockade search warrants is scheduled for Aug. 26.

13 folks had been arrested and charged with varied weapons and mischief offences after an RCMP raid revealed a cache of weapons, ammunition and physique armour close to the Coutts border blockade web site on Feb. 14. Christopher Lysak, Anthony Olienick, Jerry Mitchell Morin and Chris Carbert are additionally every charged with conspiracy to commit homicide in opposition to RCMP officers.

5 Canadian media shops — CBC, International Information, CTV, the Globe and Mail, and Postmedia — in addition to the New York Instances had been represented in court docket on Tuesday of their bid to have the data that led to the costs in opposition to Lysak, Olienick, Morin and Carbert unsealed.

Tess Layton, a lawyer for the media shops, instructed a Lethbridge court docket it is vital that the administration of justice is open and clear, saying the proof used to acquire the warrants must be made accessible to the general public.

The media should be capable to problem any restriction of freedom of expression rights and there’s no proof this may pose a severe danger to the continuing investigation or the trial, Layton stated.

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Weapons and ammunition seized at border blockade in Coutts, Alberta

Legal professionals for the accused, nevertheless, stated the unsealing of the paperwork will compromise the precise to a good trial for the accused.

Lawyer Alias Amelia Sanders stated the publication of the search warrants places a one-sided case earlier than the general public and poses a severe danger to the right administration of justice. Sanders can be looking for a publication ban on the data contained within the search warrants however an utility for the ban was not dropped at the decide on Tuesday.

Joanne Particular person, one of many accused who’s representing herself, raised issues about potential destructive penalties if the paperwork are unsealed. Particular person argued {that a} publication ban will be sure that the decide and jury is not going to be “tainted” with “media exploitation” earlier than a trial takes place.

Particular person additionally stated she was unable to have a look at the paperwork, saying she was barred from doing so by the courthouse for not being a lawyer.

Crown prosecutor Steve Johnston raised issues concerning the New York Instances’ utility as a result of it’s a U.S.-based publication, saying a workaround must be in place to verify the newspaper doesn’t violate the publication ban.

Johnston additionally stated there are various search warrants and paperwork the Crown isn’t conscious of, referring to a big cache of proof associated to the case.

Johnston additionally cautioned Particular person to watch out along with her phrases as a result of something she says in court docket can be utilized in opposition to her. Earlier within the listening to, Particular person stated she offered Coutts border protesters with a spot to bathe and do laundry.

The decide stated the case requires a excessive degree of scrutiny, particularly concerning Lysak’s, Olienick’s, Morin’s and Carbert’s warrants. Copies of the redacted warrants shall be offered to all attorneys and to Particular person for overview however the data can’t be revealed.

A line-by-line overview of the warrants to find out what shall be redacted is scheduled for Oct. 11.

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No joke at Coutts border crossing on April Fools’ Day

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