(File photo/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Elliott Knopp

Nelson Case

Plea in attempted murder case delayed for fitness hearing

Nov 8, 2021 | 5:25 PM

A man said to be involved in a case of attempted murder is set to undergo two proceedings to determine his current mental health status and ability to stand trial.

On Monday, Jordan Nelson appeared before a judge via CCTV for what was scheduled to be a plea hearing.

During a previous court appearance in October, Nelson expressed his desire to hire legal representation of his choosing before entering a plea, rather than proceeding with assistance from duty counsel.

At the hearing, Judge Michael Tomka agreed to provide Nelson with time to acquire a representative while the prosecution reached an agreement that a second mental health evaluation would be conducted to determine Nelson’s updated status and his ability to stand trial.

In Monday’s proceeding, Nelson indicated he had reached an agreement with a lawyer outside of duty counsel.

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However, the lawyer mentioned by Nelson briefly appeared in court and explained he had engaged in discussions with the defendant, but did not agree to represent him since he had not received a retainer fee.

The lawyer expressed he would not be representing Nelson at any point in the case.

Shortly after, the court shared it was aware the second mental health assessment had not been conducted. The prosecution stated it had not received an update on its request for a second assessment.

According to the prosecution, the chief psychiatrist at the facility where Nelson is being held had apparently stated they would not conduct another assessment as the results were determined to be accurate.

The judge and prosecutor both stated the second assessment wasn’t booked to challenge the previous evaluation, but to gauge if Nelson’s mental state has progressed since then.

The initial assessment determined Nelson would not be fit to stand trial and is not criminally responsible for his actions.

With only two days remaining before the assessment’s Nov.10 deadline, the court agreed to a 30-day extension to obtain the second evaluation. To ensure the legal process would ensue, a fitness hearing was scheduled to take place on Dec. 16 to determine Nelson’s ability to stand trial.

The prosecution is also waiting for an update from the RCMP regarding the status of the victim’s condition several months removed from the incident.

While Nelson has stated on several occasions that he does not want to be represented by duty counsel and prefers to acquire legal services of his choosing, he has agreed to have duty counsel represent him at the fitness hearing.

The proceedings stem from an incident in March where Nelson is alleged to have attacked a 74-year-old man with an axe in an attempt to kill him.

Upon receiving reports of the incident, the Meadow Lake RCMP issued a Dangerous Persons Alert in Meadow Lake to advise the community of Nelson’s presence as he attempted to flee.

Nelson has yet to undergo a bail hearing which will not be conducted until a second assessment has been completed.

He faces attempted murder and aggravated assault charges.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp