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

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

13 individuals have 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 towards RCMP officers.

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

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

The media should have the ability to problem any restriction of freedom of expression rights and there’s no proof this can pose a severe threat to the continued investigation or the trial, Layton mentioned.

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Weapons and ammunition seized at border blockade in Coutts, Alberta

Attorneys for the accused, nevertheless, mentioned the unsealing of the paperwork will compromise the fitting to a good trial for the accused.

Lawyer Alias Amelia Sanders mentioned the publication of the search warrants places a one-sided case earlier than the general public and poses a severe threat to the right administration of justice. Sanders can also be searching for a publication ban on the data contained within the search warrants however an software for the ban was not dropped at the choose on Tuesday.

Joanne Individual, one of many accused who’s representing herself, raised considerations about potential damaging penalties if the paperwork are unsealed. Individual argued {that a} publication ban will be sure that the choose and jury won’t be “tainted” with “media exploitation” earlier than a trial takes place.

Individual additionally mentioned 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 considerations in regards to the New York Occasions’ software as a result of it’s a U.S.-based publication, saying a workaround must be in place to ensure the newspaper doesn’t violate the publication ban.

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

Johnston additionally cautioned Individual to watch out together with her phrases as a result of something she says in court docket can be utilized towards her. Earlier within the listening to, Individual mentioned she supplied Coutts border protesters with a spot to bathe and do laundry.

The choose mentioned 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 will likely be supplied to all legal professionals and to Individual for evaluate however the data can’t be revealed.

A line-by-line evaluate of the warrants to find out what will likely 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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