Court sets news media hearing on Coutts warrant

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on May 11, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

Five national news media organizations will try later this summer to convince a judge to unseal information the RCMP used to obtain search warrants during the Coutts border protest.
Edmonton lawyer Matthew Woodley, who represents the CBC, CTV News, Global News, Postmedia and The Globe and Mail, was in Lethbridge provincial court Tuesday, where he confirmed the application to unseal the documents will be heard on June 28.
Woodley indicated the application before Judge Kristin Ailsby will likely take all day, given that there are 15 lawyers involved in the case, including the Crown prosecutor. Woodley noted however, a small number of the lawyers have not replied to the court scheduler who has attempted to confirm their availability to attend the application hearing.
Crown Prosecutor Steven Johnston agreed with the proposed date, and suggested any lawyers who have not responded likely means they aren’t interested in participating in the process, and it should proceed on the recommended date.
The search warrant information the media outlets are seeking is specifically related to four individuals who were arrested during the trucker protest in January and February and who remain in remand custody. Anthony Olienick, 39, Jerry Mitchell Morin, 40, Chris Carbert, 44, and Christopher Lysak, 48, are each charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The four accused are also charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and mischief to property, while Lysak faces an additional charge of uttering threats.
In addition to the four men charged with conspiracy to commit murder, nine other individuals – Ursula Allred, 22, Johnson Chichow Law, 39, Justin Martin, 22, Eastin Stewart Oler, 22, Joanne Person, 62, Janx Zaremba, 18, Luke Berk, 62, Jaclyne Martin, 39, and Evan Colenutt, 23 – are charged with mischief and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Police reported that a small group within the protest was prepared to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade. Police obtained a search warrant, and during the early-morning raid Feb. 14, they uncovered a number of long guns, as well as handguns, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and body armour.

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