Two men will learn their fate Dec. 3h in connection to the wide-ranging Mosquito First Nation treaty land entitlement case.
Alphonse Moosomin and Eldon Starchief are due to be back on that date before Judge Violet Meekma in North Battleford Provincial Court. Both had previously entered guilty pleas to breach of trust charges in connection to the case, in which they were alleged to have misspent Treaty Land Entitlement money set aside for the purchase of land for Mosquito First Nation during their time as trustees of the fund.
Tuesday morning, both men were back in provincial court as sentencing resumed. Reports and additional victim impact statements were filed in court, and Judge Meekma heard final submissions from counsel before setting a date to hand down her decision on sentencing. Meekma appeared in North Battleford provincial court by video conference from Melfort, where she was presiding that day.
Crown prosecutor Robin Ritter, appearing by phone, continued to call for a two and a half year penitentiary sentence for both men. He cited additional case law, and noted the victim impact statements illustrate the matter was of great importance to members of Mosquito First Nation.
Moosomin's defence lawyer Donald MacKinnon, appearing in person, continued to argue for a conditional sentence of two years less a day and cited additional case law to back up his argument.
He noted a petition had been filed with 79 names from the First Nation, indicating support for Moosomin to serve his term within the community. MacKinnon also downplayed some of the victim impact statements, noting some of the comments were targeted towards individuals not before the court. Three other individuals are still to go to trial on charges connected to the case.
Starchief's lawyer Monte Migneault, also appearing in person in North Battleford, continued to call for a similar two-year-less-a-day conditional sentence for his client. He noted Starchief would be willing to do 20 hours of community service on home renovations. Starchief also offered to pay $20,000 in restitution.
Ritter, however, was not impressed, saying these offers come "at the eleventh hour" and were an attempt to "buy his way out of jail."
Meekma immediately indicated she would reserve her decision to Dec. 30 at 10 a.m.
