Trial for accused in Tiki Laverdiere killing could pose logistical nightmare for courts
Dan Zakreski | CBC News | Posted: August 9, 2019 7:46 PM | Last Updated: August 9, 2019
Echoes 1983 case in which 8 accused of murder stood trial in North Battleford
The number of people now charged in connection with the death of Tiki Laverdiere could create a logistical nightmare for the courts.
Seven people are now implicated in the Edmonton woman's death. In May, Laverdiere disappeared while attending a funeral in North Battleford. Her body was discovered outside that city in July.
Five of those seven are charged with first-degree murder. RCMP say they are still investigating and there could be more suspects arrested.
Saskatoon defence lawyer Mark Brayford knows all about the issues that come with large trials.
In the early 1980s, he was involved in a trial in North Battleford in which eight people were accused of murder.
He said everything becomes exponentially more complicated with that number of people involved, starting with where to actually hold the trial.
"Just the size of the group was such that it wouldn't physically fit in the Battlefords Queen's Bench courthouse so the case, a large part of it, took place in the United Church," he said.
He says that trial became a drawn out affair, lasting a full month.
"Any time you're dealing with multiplying everything by eight, one can imagine the magnitude," he said.
"For instance, every single witness gets cross-examined by eight separate counsel for the eight accused," he said.
Nine different sets of lawyers could potentially be involved in the jury selection process, he pointed out. Finding a time when all the lawyers are available will be part of the challenge, Brayford said.
There is no date set or location named, for the trials of the accused in the Laverdiere case.