‘Shouldn’t be sitting here another day’: Bail hearing held for Sask. sisters in jail since 1994 | 24CA News
Defence lawyer James Lockyer is looking for the conditional launch of Nerissa and Odelia Quewezance. The sisters have been convicted of homicide at a Yorkton, Sask., courthouse in 1994 the place they each obtained life sentences. Both have at all times maintained their innocence.
They have been convicted of killing James Dolff at his home close to Kamsack, Sask., in 1993.
Now a federal evaluation of their case will reveal their destiny on Wednesday. A two-day bail listening to started on Jan. 17, on the Court of Kings Bench in Yorkton.
“Me and my sister shouldn’t be sitting here another day,” mentioned Odelia. “This should be reconciliation today. I want to believe in my heart that everything’s going (to) work out … I just keep praying every day for this.”
The first day of the bail listening to was highlighted by cross-examination by Crown Prosecutor Kelly Kaip. Several witnesses have been referred to as to the stand together with the sisters themselves, Odelia’s associate, and the Congress of Aboriginal People’s (CAP) Vice Chief Kim Beaudin who’re providing to deal with the sisters if they’re launched.
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“Unfortunately, it took almost three decades to get to this stage and here we are today,” mentioned Kaip. “I doubt that we will see (a decision) today just because the judge wants to consider all of the evidence and we want him to do that job. It would be wonderful if we got a decision today particularly if it was a positive decision because these women have been waiting a long time.”
The Federation of Indigenous Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Vice-Chief Aly Bear additionally testified for the protection on Monday in help of the Quewezance sisters. In a FSIN launch, she acknowledged the case is “heartbreaking” particularly to see Odelia’s youngsters in courtroom and study of their childhood with out their mom.
“It’s just another example of how First Nations women’s voices are being silenced by a racist, patriarchal justice system,” mentioned VC Bear. “They have served 30 years of hard time for a crime they did not commit. The facts of the case show the women deserve more than bail, they deserve exoneration for this crime and retribution for the miscarriage of justice.”
Kaip questioned the Quewezance sisters about their felony data each earlier than and since that homicide conviction. Lockyer questioned the sisters on the efforts they’ve made to take care of challenges like the usage of medication and alcohol which they mentioned they’ve struggled with since their conviction.
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The sisters say they didn’t even witness the homicide of James Dolff in 1993. The ministerial evaluation of their case has commenced partly as a result of their cousin, who was a youth on the time, has since confessed to the killing and obtained a four-year sentence for second-degree homicide.
Presiding over the listening to is Justice Donald Layh who confused a number of instances that his resolution will probably be based mostly on particular standards which embrace the worth of the potential launch of the Quewezance sisters to the Saskatchewan public.
Global News will carry you extra particulars after they change into accessible.
– with recordsdata from Connor O’Donovan.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
