Coutts protesters prep for upcoming trials
By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on October 15, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
Several individuals charged in relation to a protest at the Coutts border earlier this year are preparing for trial.
During a brief hearing Friday in Lethbridge provincial court, Crown Prosecutor Steven Johnston noted a pre-trial conference has been scheduled for Nov. 8, at which time lawyers for the accused are expected to determine dates when they are available for trial. The trial dates will then be confirmed when the matter returns to docket court on Nov. 10.
The accused, Ursula Allred, Evan Colenut, Jaclyne Martin, Justin Martin and Easton Oler, are charged with mischief to property and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
RCMP arrested the accused, as well as several other individuals, on Feb. 14 during the blockade of trucks and vehicles at the Coutts border, after becoming aware of a cache of firearms and ammunition. The protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions began late January and lasted until Feb. 15 when protesters began dispersing in response to the discovery of weapons.
Identical charges against two men, Johnson Law and Luke Berk, were stayed in July, while a Coutts woman, Joanne Person, pleaded not guilty in August to her charges, and elected to be tried by a Court of Queen’s Bench judge and a jury, with a preliminary hearing. The one-day hearing is set for January of next year.
Person is also scheduled for trial Feb. 16-17, 2023 on one charge of dangerous driving. The charge stems from an incident Feb. 1 when a pickup truck drove through the blockade and headed toward oncoming traffic before becoming involved in a head-on collision.
Another accused, Janx Zaremba, who is also charged with mischief to property and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, is scheduled to stand trial Dec. 6.
Four more accused, Christopher Lysak, Anthony Olienick, Jerry Morin and Chris Carbert, face a charge of conspiracy to commit murder and will stand trial on June 12-30, 2023. The Crown has elected to proceed by direct indictment, eliminating the need for a preliminary hearing, and all four men have been denied bail in Court of King’s Bench and remain in custody.
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Three others due back in court next month facing charges of mischief over $5000 with regard to the Coutts blockade are Marco Van Huigenbos, Alex Van Herk, and George Janzen. If found guilty, and if the Crown decides to proceed by indictment, the maximum penalty can be can be 10 years in prison, or, if the Crown proceeds summarily, the maximum penalty is 2 years in prison. Guilty convictions for mischief over $5000 can also lead to a criminal record, fines, and probation.