Man accused in fentanyl case has trial date changed

A man accused of trafficking fentanyl whom the Alberta Court of Appeal ordered a new trial for is seeking to have his trial date changed due to legal aid coverage issues.

At Medicine Hat Provincial Court Thursday, counsel that had up until now been representing Jason Claude Tremblay was granted permission to come off the record, as Alberta Legal Aid had ceased paying for his coverage because a member of Tremblay’s family had made contact with a Vancouver lawyer to be hired.

Tremblay was charged in Medicine Hat in 2014 with possession for the purposes of trafficking after police seized more than 800 fentanyl pills but was acquitted on this charge — instead the judge found him guilty of simple possession and he was sentenced to a year in jail.

Last fall, the Alberta Court of Appeal ordered a new trial.

Crown told the court Thursday that last October, they had received a request for disclosure from a Vancouver law firm. At the same time, they received a disclosure request from an Alberta lawyer. As Legal Aid gave the certificate to the Alberta lawyer, the Crown gave disclosure to this counsel, and hadn’t heard from the Vancouver law firm ever since.

A trial date for July 5 and 6 was set in January — but the Albertan lawyer was recently informed by Legal Aid they would no longer be covering his costs, including that of a two-day trial that would most likely include bringing in defence experts.

Tremblay told the court that the Vancouver counsel is ready to go on the record.

The matter was adjourned to June 14.