‘I’ll sit here, b’y,’ defendant tells judge
With four files before the court, Justin Jordan’s legal case gets more complicated by the day
At every one of Justin Jordan’s court appearances, his legal cases get more complicated, and Monday morning was no different.
Jordan, 26, has four files before the court, including a charge of attempting to murder a fellow inmate in Her Majesty’s Penitentiary (HMP), a charge of pulling a false fire alarm at the prison, a charge of assaulting a different inmate and a charge of assaulting a correctional officer.
Jordan has pleaded not guilty to the latter three charges, and had been scheduled to go to trial Aug. 9. However, the Crown was granted a postponement of those trials Monday, since key witnesses will be out of the province and unable to testify.
On the attempted murder charge, Jordan pleaded guilty last fall, but has been attempting to withdraw that plea. After a number of delays — due to Jordan firing his lawyer and changing his mind about representing himself, among other reasons — a hearing to withdraw the plea is scheduled to go ahead July 30.
On Monday, Jordan stressed, as he has multiple times in the past, that he has been at HMP for 14 months, and has spent much of that time in segregation.
When Judge Mike Madden asked Jordan to step forward and speak into the microphone
so his comments could be recorded, Jordan declined, saying, “No, I’ll sit here, b’y.”
He later changed his mind and stood at the microphone.
“Is there a way I can get out?” Jordan asked.
Madden reminded him that he had been denied bail on the attempted murder charge and would have to apply to Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court for a bail review if he wanted one.
“No, I’ll just do my time,” Jordan replied. “With another 10 months, that’ll be two years I’ve been in jail, time served.”
Jordan is accused of stabbing Trent Butt — who is awaiting a murder trial in connection with the death of his five-yearold daughter, Quinn — during a recreation period in June 2017. Butt was not seriously injured.