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Court briefs Mountie needs new lawyer in Baker Lake sex assault case Peter Worden Northern News Services Published Monday, January 14, 2013
In the Nunavut Court of Justice last week, Dickens' previous lawyer made an application to withdraw his services due to unexpected health reasons. Justice Robert Kilpatrick said it would be "imprudent to confirm an April trial date" until another lawyer is in place and has had a chance to review all court documents. Dickens, who has four years of service with the RCMP, was charged last April following a complaint from a woman accusing him of a sexual offence nearly three years ago in a Baker Lake cell block. Court will speak to the matter Feb. 4 but a trial is expected to go ahead this spring in Baker Lake and take as many as four days with several witnesses including RCMP to be called. Dickens is suspended with pay. Due to a court ordered publication ban, the complainant cannot be named. Murder trial to proceed After more than two years, a trial date has been set in the case of Elee Geetah, who faces a murder charge and firearm charges. The trial is expected to last five days and hear testimony from approximately 20 witnesses. In October 2010, Geetah, then 19, was charged with second-degree murder after a three-and-a-half-hour standoff with police in Cape Dorset. The body of Geetah's older brother, Jamesie Simigak, 23, was found in the home. Jury selection is set to begin in Cape Dorset on Dec. 9. Judge-alone murder trial Bruce Kayaitok was in the Nunavut Court of Justice Jan. 7 to confirm his preference for a judge-only murder trial. The two-week trial is slated to go ahead in Kayaitok's home community of Kugaruuk on April 22. Kayaitok was charged on June 13, 2008, in relation to the death of his spouse, Belinda Tootiak. Still no prelim date Justice Robert Kilpatrick expected to set a date for a preliminary inquiry for Alec Petooloosie, charged with manslaughter in the January 2012 death of his cousin, 36-year-old Matthew Petooloosie, in Iqaluit. Kilpatrick told Crown and defence lawyers the case was getting stale. After 13 previous court appearances, Petooloosie has yet to have a date for a preliminary hearing, which will determine if there is enough evidence for trial. The lawyers adjourned as they await further police investigation. Petooloosie, 22, was arrested last January and remains in custody. Prelim trial date set for former teacher Former teacher Johnny Meeko, who faces 40 sex-related charges, will return to his home community of Sanikiluaq for a preliminary inquiry set for July 15. Meeko, 58, taught at Sanikiluaq's Nuiyak Elementary School. He is in custody at the Baffin Correctional Centre. Last week, Crown prosecutor Doug Garson called the matter a "big case in the community" and tentatively booked two weeks of court time for the preliminary hearing, which will involve roughly a dozen witnesses. Garson said further charges could be laid in the case since police are still following up on three more complainants. The hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to go to trial.
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