Couple may be forced to represent themselves in medical marijuana trial

Rob and Mary Kamermans may soon be headed to trial – with or without a lawyer.

The pair, who have been dealing with the courts for several years on a variety of charges including substance trafficking, and fraud and money laundering linked to medical marijuana following a Jan. 26, 2012 police raid at their practice in Coe Hill, appeared in court, once again, Friday morning in Belleville.

They made a brief appearance in court last month where they told Justice Wolf Tausendfreund they were working to find legal counsel for their impending trial.

On Friday they stated at this time, they are still without counsel although they are in communication with an attorney who might represent them.

The attorney, however, is away on vacation currently and it is possible the couple might have to move forward in the proceedings without a lawyer and represent themselves.

Speaking to the justice, Rob stated the couple has repeatedly requested their 26,000-page disclosure from the office of the Crown attorney and have received no responses in return.

Hastings County Crown attorney Lee Burgess said it is his preference to provide disclosure to the couple’s attorney, if that person is eventually retained.

“There is a long and tortured history of retaining and un-retaining counsel,” Burgess said of the case.

He noted there is some thirdparty information contained in the document that would not typically be released to a person representing themselves. Some of that information would need to be redacted before the disclosure is released to the Kamermans.

“When there’s this fence-sitting going on I’m at a bit of a loss,” Burgess said.

The couple is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 23 where a trial date will be set whether the couple has retained a lawyer or not.

The pair were committed to stand trial in 2014 but proceedings were delayed due to the Kamermans’ appeal of the prosecution’s bid to indict him on forgery instead of fraud.