Lawyers for alleged Winnipeg serial killer point to opinion poll in bid to get jury tossed
The lawyers of an alleged serial killer in Winnipeg are questioning whether pre-trial publicity in the high-profile case may have influenced the jury’s decision-making ability, after a public poll commissioned by the defence found 81 per cent of respondents believe the accused is guilty.
Jeremy Skibicki is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of four Indigenous women: Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and a fourth unidentified woman who Indigenous have given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe or Buffalo Woman.
He has pleaded not guilty.
His defence lawyers’ bid to toss the jury in the trial continued Tuesday in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench.
READ MORE: Winnipeg trial of man accused of killing four women starts with bid to toss jury
Skibicki’s lawyers launched a constitutional question over the partiality of the jury, seeking to have the case heard by judge-alone and not a jury.
The argument hinges on a public opinion poll commissioned by Legal Aid Manitoba, which is representing Skibicki in the case. The poll, conducted by Mainstreet Research in February, posed questions to 906 Manitobans, all of whom were eligible for a jury.
The poll gathered thoughts on Skibicki and what respondents think of various potential defences in the case – such as a defence that he is not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
The poll, which was released to the media by the court Tuesday, found – of the people aware of the Skibicki case – 81 per cent of respondents believed the accused was guilty based on what they had seen, read or heard about the case. The poll said 17 per cent were unsure, and 2 per cent said they believe he is not guilty.
Ninety-five per cent of the respondents aware of the case indicated they had a somewhat or strongly negative opinion of Skibicki, while only five per cent said they had a somewhat or strongly positive opinion.
The court heard on Monday the poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 per cent.
Expert witness Dr. Christine Ruva, a U.S.-based cognitive psychologist and professor told the court one of the reasons the poll was done was to assess bias in the community.
She has extensively studied the influence pre-trial publicity can have on jury decision-making in the United States, and said in this case, there has been a significant amount of coverage – more than 400 articles.
“The more pre-trial publicity, the more bias,” Ruva told the court.
When asked by Skibicki’s defence if a jurors opinion could change once evidence is presented in trial, Ruva said it’s unlikely.
“People’s belief in guilt stays roughly the same even after trial evidence if they have an opinion of guilt in the case after being exposed to pre-trial publicity,” she said.
She said the safest way to avoid unconscious jury bias is to only allow people to serve on a jury if they haven’t heard of the case before.
However, Crown prosecutor Christian Vanderhooft pushed back against Ruva’s testimony, pointing to the high-profile jury trial in the death of Tina Fontaine, a 15-year-old First Nations girl who was killed in Winnipeg.
The death and pre-trial coverage was significant, Vanderhooft said, but in that case, the jury acquitted the accused.
“Jurors and juries do in fact acquit people all the time – not everybody is found guilty,” Vanderhooft said.
Ruva agreed, but said her research is based on many cases, not one single case.
“I haven’t been on one yet where the person wasn’t found guilty,” she said.
In Skibicki’s case, a 12-person jury and two alternates were selected in April. The court heard Tuesday more than half indicated they hadn’t heard of this case before.
The matter continues in court Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Almost 2 months after it destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge, the Dali cargo ship has been moved
The cargo ship Dali is being moved from the site of its catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a crucial step toward fully reopening the busy Port of Baltimore.