Court appoints lawyer for man facing murder charge

Jun 19, 2017 | 1:00 PM

An accused killer was appointed a lawyer by a Prince Albert judge this morning because his applications for Legal Aid were denied.

Danny Lee Ledoux, a 30-year-old resident of Mistawasis First Nation, is facing a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Cindy Joseph. Joseph, 28, was discovered unresponsive at a home on Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation by RCMP March 3. She was rushed to a Shellbrook hospital for treatment but was later pronounced dead. RCMP investigators said Joseph and Ledoux were known to each other.

Ledoux has struggled with finding representation since his arrest. Legal Aid lawyer Ian Goldberg announced Ledoux had fired him May 9, and Ledoux was given a choice between a court-appointed lawyer and re-applying for Legal Aid. He chose to re-apply, and this morning informed the court his application and appeal were denied.

This morning Ledoux appeared in a Prince Albert provincial courtroom over video link from the Saskatoon correctional centre where he is being held. Wearing glasses, a bright orange prison t-shirt, and clutching a sizable stack of paperwork, Ledoux told Judge Violet Meekma a Saskatoon-based lawyer had agreed to represent him as court-appointed counsel.