Sheep abduction case returns to court in September

Friday, July 19, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

A motion to remove Canadian Constitution Foundation litigation director Karen Selick as the lawyer for Linda Frances (Montana) Jones and Michael Schmidt will be heard in the Ontario Court of Justice in Cobourg on Sept. 18.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency alleges Selick has a conflict of interest and is seeking to remove her. Selick said in an earlier interview she’s resisting the motion.

She said she has strong opinions about the matter but declined to comment further.

The motion also includes the removal of Shawn Buckley of Kamloops, British Columbia, the criminal constitutional lawyer the foundation has hired to work on the case.

Jones of Northumberland County and Schmidt of Grey County are two of four people who have been charged in connection with the disappearance of 31 Shropshire sheep from a quarantined Northumberland County farm last year. The other two people charged are Suzanne Atkinson of Northumberland County and Robert Pinnell of Durham County. They are all facing charges of conspiracy to commit obstruction of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspector, to transport or cause to transport an animal under quarantine and conspiracy to defraud the public of a service over $5,000 under the Criminal Code along with obstructing a CFIA inspector and transport or causing to transport an animal under quarantine under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations. Jones is also charged with obstructing a CFIA inspector under the Health of Animals Act. Pinnell faces a further charge of attempting to obstruct justice and another for obstructing a police officer, both under the Criminal Code.

The four people will also return to court on Sept. 18. BF