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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Thomas Ballem appeared in territorial court Tuesday wearing a denim shirt reading: "The Justice Department is organized crime with corruption as its mandate."

Ballem, who has been sentenced to jail time twice for uttering threats against employees at the NWT Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, did not know why he was in court.

"I'm not completely clear why this matter is in front of me today," said Judge Robert Gorin.

"I don't even know what I'm charged with," answered Ballem, when asked if he knew why he was there.

"You're not," responded Gorin, adding the matter before him was in regards to a pledge to keep the peace.

Gorin put Ballem's case over to a peace bond hearing on Oct. 10.

Warrant issued for hospitalized man

A homeless Yellowknife man who failed to appear in court Tuesday had a warrant issued for his arrest.

Donald Berens wasn't present because he was in the hospital, according to defence lawyer Peter Fuglsang. Berens, who has reportedly been homeless since 1994, has a chronic lung ailment and uses portable oxygen.

Berens' charges date back to November 2007 and include one count each of assault and harassment.

He was set to appear in court Tuesday for sentencing related to his 2007 charges.

Awaiting psychiatric assessment

Daniel Mikus appeared in territorial court Tuesday only to discover that his pre-trial hearing would be delayed once again.

Mikus, who has been in custody just over two months, was ordered to get a psychiatric assessment before his court case could proceed. As a result, he has already had his hearing delayed several times as defence lawyers scramble to find an open bed for him in a southern facility.

Mikus is charged with several counts of assault, all stemming back to June. On Tuesday, it was suggested that instead of trying to get the man into a facility in Edmonton, as was first planned, it may be time to start looking to B.C. and Saskatchewan.

But as Judge Robert Gorin pointed out, "One option could take more time than the other."

Gorin ordered that Mikus appear in court again Sept. 16, at which point, he said, he expects an assessment to be scheduled for the man.