Facts about judge, defence lawyer and Crown prosecutor in Magnotta trial
Posted Sep 5, 2014 04:05:04 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREAL – Jury selection in the first-degree murder trial of alleged murderer Luka Rocco Magnotta begins on Monday.
Here are some facts about trial judge Guy Cournoyer, defence lawyer Luc Leclair and Crown prosecutor Louis Bouthillier:
Cournoyer:
— Named to Quebec Superior Court in May 2007.
— Oversaw the case of Basil Parasiris, a Quebecer who was acquitted in killing Laval police officer Daniel Tessier.
— Previously practised as an attorney in Montreal for 20 years and best known for his role in several public inquiries, including the Gomery Commission on federal sponsorship.
— Will also preside the 2015 trial of Richard Henry Bain, the man charged in Quebec’s election-night shooting in 2012.
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Leclair:
— Called to the Ontario bar in 1991.
— Has been Magnotta’s primary legal representative since June 2012.
— Is fluently bilingual and practises law mainly in the Greater Toronto Area.
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Bouthillier:
— A lawyer for the past 28 years and a veteran Crown attorney.
— Is handling the Magnotta case on his own after co-Crown prosecutor Helene Di Salvo was named a Quebec Superior Court justice in December 2012.
— Has tried some high-profile cases in the Montreal area, including the first-degree murder trial of Adele Sorella, a mother who was found guilty of killing her two daughters.
— Recently prosecuted three men who were eventually found guilty of a double murder and attempted murder at an Old Montreal clothing boutique.
