Trial set for man facing child porn charges
A man with child pornography charges will be in court next May and September, around two years after the charges were first laid.
Two trial dates were set at St. Albert Provincial Court on Sept. 26 for Michael John Patterson, who remains in custody after being denied bail, months after the established timeline a trial must be heard by under the Jordan decision.
Patterson's trial May 3 to 5, 2023, is for charges made by St. Albert RCMP of possession of child pornography; luring a child under 18; extortion; distributing sexually explicit material under 16 years; and agreeing or arranging through telecommunication to commit a sexual offence against a child under 16 years
His second trial Sept. 6 to 8, 2023, for charges of luring a child under 18 years; possession of child pornography; publication of intimate images without consent; and extortion.
Crown prosecutor Ioana Corabian said the Jordan deadline for Patterson is November of this year, but the court could not accommodate an earlier date.
A 2016 Supreme Court of Canada decision, R. v. Jordan, established a timeline that trials must be heard 18 months after charges are laid in courts such as the Provincial Court of Alberta.
Corabian said both she and defence counsel Shawn King are trying to secure earlier trial dates.
St. Albert woman caught with wallet fined
A woman whom St. Albert RCMP found in possession of a wallet belonging to a man whose vehicle was stolen pleaded guilty to three charges and was subsequently fined.
Under a joint submission by Crown prosecutor and defence counsel, Cheyenne Smith, 27, was fined $1,500 in St. Albert Provincial Court on Sept. 26 for possession of property under $5,000 and two counts of failure to comply with an undertaking or release order.
On June 14, St. Albert RCMP were called after a Jeep was stolen. The victim tracked the vehicle through OnStar and the vehicle was located in a residential area, according to the agreed statement of facts.
When police approached, the vehicle took off at high speeds through a school zone. Police stopped pursuing the vehicle, court heard.
Later, OnStar showed the Jeep had stopped in a residential area. Police located the vehicle.
Police saw Smith in the area and, despite rainy conditions, she was dry. Smith also gave police multiple reasons for being in the area. Smith was arrested and was found with the victim’s wallet on her person, court heard.
On June 24 and July 5, Smith was found to be in breach of undertaking conditions.
Lawyer for high-risk sex offender quits case
The lawyer for a high-risk sex offender made an application to withdraw from the case on Monday.
Defence counsel Jodie Holder is no longer on the record for Donald George Dupuis, 42, who is facing charges of assault and sexual contact with a child after an application for his withdrawal was approved at St. Albert Provincial Court on Sept. 26.
Holder said he made the application because of a “communication breakdown.”
The allegations against Dupuis are historical charges but were brought forward in February.
As reported by The Gazette, Dupuis was given a high-risk offender warning after he was released from a 12-month sentence in April 2020 for sexual interference.
Dupuis will be back in St. Albert Provincial Court on Oct. 17.
