The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Lacking a lawyer for his latest court appearance, accused Flin Flon murderer James Desmarais has once again had his case put over. Desmarais appeared in court in The Pas last week, at which time his case was remanded to June 3 for new counsel. But Crown prosecutor Todd Rambow said there are no guarantees Desmarais, 46, will have an attorney by that date. 'Legal Aid is having difficulty in finding him a new lawyer,' Rambow said. 'This is largely due to having a limited pool of defence lawyers in our jurisdiction.' Three lawyers Desmarais has already been through three different lawyers since his Oct. 31, 2011 arrest in the death of fellow Flin Flonner Raylene Dawn Grant, 21. Rambow said Desmarais' first two attorneys sought and received permission to bow out of the case, though Rambow could not speculate as to why. Desmarais has said he dismissed his most recent lawyer because he did not feel that he was doing his job properly. The courts have decided there is sufficient evidence for a trial in the case, having bypassed a planned preliminary inquiry. Desmarais has said he will plead not guilty to the second-degree murder charge against him. He remains in custody in The Pas.
