Winnipeg man accused of killing four women will face jury
A Winnipeg man accused of killing four Indigenous women will have his trial heard by a jury – despite a second attempt by his defence to have the jury tossed.
On Friday morning, Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal dismissed a motion by Jeremy Skibicki’s lawyers to have the quadruple-homicide trial heard by judge alone.
Skibicki is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and an unidentified woman who Indigenous have given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe or Buffalo Woman.
He has pleaded not guilty.
While a first-degree murder charge automatically requires a jury trial, Joyal noted an accused can request their case be heard by judge alone, but Crown prosecutors must consent.
In this case, the Crown has not.
Skibicki’s lawyers have argued ‘pervasive’ media coverage in the lead-up to the trial may have led to a bias among jurors, and argued a jury trial would violate Skibicki’s rights to a fair trial.
They pointed to an opinion poll they commissioned, which found a majority of respondents believe Skibicki is guilty and indicated they would find it unacceptable if he were to be found not criminally responsible by way of mental disorder.
The court also heard testimony from a U.S.-based cognitive psychologist who has studied the impact and influence pre-trial publicity can have on a jury’s decision-making ability.
She said once a juror has formed an opinion of guilt based on the media coverage they consumed before the trial, it is unlikely – if not impossible – to change during the trial.
However, in his decision, Joyal disagreed.
“Impartiality as it relates to the judicial system is not understood to mean the jurors do not hold any form of bias, nor does it suggest that jurors are artificially neutral,” Joyal said.
He said it is the responsibility of the judicial system, through instruction to the jury, to cleanse any biases jurors bring with them.
In this case, he said there was rigorous questioning during jury selection, and there will be further instruction to the jurors about their role – to make a finding based on the evidence presented in court alone.
“While it is expected the jurors, much like judges, are shaped by their lived experience including the media they digest,” Joyal said. “In the Canadian judicial system we believe jurors are able to rise to the heightened expectations required of their role in order to ensure a fair trial is provided to the accused person.”
Skibicki’s defence lawyers made a similar push to have the trial proceed without a jury, but that too was dismissed earlier this year.
“We thought our arguments were impeccable… but the lordship made a decision and we'll take it from there,” Leonard Tailleur, one of Skibicki’s defence lawyers said outside the courthouse Friday.
He said this doesn’t change anything going into the trial.
When asked about their plan to argue Skibicki is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder, Tailleur said, “That'll be elucidated further in the trial proper, so we'll leave it at that.”
The jury will begin hearing evidence on May 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Was this the bug that stung you? Wasp sightings revive murder-hornet concerns; no detections confirmed
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
Tiny plastic shards found in human testicles, study says
Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found.
A U.K. lawmaker returns to work as 'the bionic MP' after losing his hands and feet to sepsis
Britain's fractious politicians shared a rare moment of unity on Wednesday, when a Conservative lawmaker returned to work six months after sepsis put him in a coma and forced the amputation of his hands and feet.
Nine killed in Mexico stage collapse at campaign event
A stage collapsed at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring dozens as high winds tore apart the large, concert-style structure, scattering politicians and attendees.