Teen murder suspect wants new lawyer
Defence planned to request psych exam for youth accused of homicide, but defendant, irked with infrequent communication from counsel, demands new legal representation
A teenager accused of killing a man in Nasonworth earlier this month told a judge Monday that he wants a new lawyer, complaining he hadn’t heard from his counsel in days.
The 17-year-old Nasonworth boy faces a charge of second-degree murder stemming from the sudden death of a 34-year-old man in that community on May 13.
The youth can’t be named as per the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and as the boy’s relationship to the deceased isn’t clear, the Fredericton Independent isn’t identifying him at this time either.
The young defendant was scheduled to go through a bail hearing Monday in Fredericton youth court, but as the parties in court awaiting the teen’s appearance by telephone, defence lawyer T.J. Burke told Judge Lucie Mathurin he was planning on asking the court to order a psychiatric assessment of his client, as authorized by Section 34 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.