Judge refuses to allow man to enter guilty pleas

A judge wouldn’t allow a Medicine Hat man facing serious assault charges to plead guilty on Thursday.

This led to a string of profanity and insults from Jamie Steven Snow, who had originally appeared Tuesday by closedcircuit TV from the Medicine Hat Remand Centre.

Snow is charged with one count of assault, two counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of mischief, housebreaking with intent, possessing a weapon dangerous to the public, and failures to comply with probation. In a plea deal crafted with the assistance of a defence lawyer, Snow had entered guilty pleas Tuesday to just one count of assault with a weapon, housebreaking and failure to comply with probation.

But when the Crown began to read in the facts of the case, Snow began to protest, wanting to give his side of what happened — to the point that the Crown believed Snow was denying the essential elements of the facts.

The judge expunged the guilty pleas, Snow fired his lawyer, and the matter was adjourned to Thursday.

Representing himself on Thursday, Snow said he wanted to enter guilty pleas. The Crown said Snow’s disagreement over facts and not wanting to take responsibility for the incident showed it should go to trial. And doubting the sincerity of Snow’s plea, Judge Ted Fisher did not accept it.

Snow then said he “wants to do the responsible thing and go on with his life,” demanding he have a lawyer, and complaining he is being kept in solitary confinement at the remand centre.

With both Crown and judge refusing to budge, Snow proceeded into a profanity-laden tirade, until Fisher threatened him with contempt of court, and adjourned everything to July 4.