No Warranty
Scammer hater
A Newfoundland and Labrador Court has told a central Newfoundland man appealing two murder convictions that he can hire another private lawyer to work on his behalf.
Nelson Hart, 42, was convicted on 28 March 2007 of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2002 drowning deaths of his twin daughters, Karen and Krista Hart.
Hart has dismissed a legal aid lawyer and was given the right to hire a private lawyer, Rosellen Sullivan, before but he said he was not satisfied with that second lawyer either.
Monday a Court of Appeals panel said Hart must have another a lawyer hired by June 28.
During a break this morning, Hart's mother, Pearl spoke with her son and urged him start cooperating with the system.
"Now you have to trust us...me, as your mother and Jennifer as your wife but most of all, you have to trust the courts and your lawyer," she said.
Pearl Hart also reiterated that she believes in Nelson Hart's innocence.
"I hate the fact that people say I'm your mother, that's why I'm sticking by you.You know me better. If I thought for one second that you was guilty, I would have left you long ago," she said.
The decision came after Hart told the court he had always wanted to take part in his appeal but has only seen a small amount of the disclosure from his case, and has never been given a transcript of his trial.
When the matter is called again his lawyer must appear and tell the court he or she is taking the matter. The lawyer will be paid by the Attorney General.
If Hart doesn't have a lawyer by then he will represent himself. The date for the appeal itself will also be set on June 28.
The court has also ordered that the Crown provide full disclosure of evidence from the trial, the transcript of his confessions to undercover police and the video of the confessions, and also the transcript of the trial.
On 11 April 2007, Hart filed an appeal claiming that the videotaped confessions were not admissible. The appeal also claims that during the trial the court should have been closed to allow Hart to testify.
Hart's lawyer at that time, Derek Hogan, said in the appeal that the judge who presided over the murder case misinterpreted the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by allowing two videotapes into evidence.
Those tapes, obtained and broadcast in part by CBC News, show Hart confessing to the crimes to an undercover police officer and later re-enacting the murders. The tapes were the key evidence in the Crown's prosecution of Hart.
In the tapes, made by hidden cameras, Hart confessed to the undercover police officer that he pushed his twin girls off a wharf at Gander Lake in central Newfoundland.
The appeal also contends the judge misinterpreted the law when he didn't allow Hart to testify in closed court.
Hart was supposed to testify in his own defence during the trial, but that didn't happen.
Hogan said Hart wanted to testify in closed court because he was concerned the stress of testifying with people other than the jurors watching would cause him to have an epileptic seizure.
Nelson Hart, 42, was convicted on 28 March 2007 of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2002 drowning deaths of his twin daughters, Karen and Krista Hart.
Hart has dismissed a legal aid lawyer and was given the right to hire a private lawyer, Rosellen Sullivan, before but he said he was not satisfied with that second lawyer either.
Monday a Court of Appeals panel said Hart must have another a lawyer hired by June 28.
During a break this morning, Hart's mother, Pearl spoke with her son and urged him start cooperating with the system.
"Now you have to trust us...me, as your mother and Jennifer as your wife but most of all, you have to trust the courts and your lawyer," she said.
Pearl Hart also reiterated that she believes in Nelson Hart's innocence.
"I hate the fact that people say I'm your mother, that's why I'm sticking by you.You know me better. If I thought for one second that you was guilty, I would have left you long ago," she said.
The decision came after Hart told the court he had always wanted to take part in his appeal but has only seen a small amount of the disclosure from his case, and has never been given a transcript of his trial.
When the matter is called again his lawyer must appear and tell the court he or she is taking the matter. The lawyer will be paid by the Attorney General.
If Hart doesn't have a lawyer by then he will represent himself. The date for the appeal itself will also be set on June 28.
The court has also ordered that the Crown provide full disclosure of evidence from the trial, the transcript of his confessions to undercover police and the video of the confessions, and also the transcript of the trial.
On 11 April 2007, Hart filed an appeal claiming that the videotaped confessions were not admissible. The appeal also claims that during the trial the court should have been closed to allow Hart to testify.
Hart's lawyer at that time, Derek Hogan, said in the appeal that the judge who presided over the murder case misinterpreted the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by allowing two videotapes into evidence.
Those tapes, obtained and broadcast in part by CBC News, show Hart confessing to the crimes to an undercover police officer and later re-enacting the murders. The tapes were the key evidence in the Crown's prosecution of Hart.
In the tapes, made by hidden cameras, Hart confessed to the undercover police officer that he pushed his twin girls off a wharf at Gander Lake in central Newfoundland.
The appeal also contends the judge misinterpreted the law when he didn't allow Hart to testify in closed court.
Hart was supposed to testify in his own defence during the trial, but that didn't happen.
Hogan said Hart wanted to testify in closed court because he was concerned the stress of testifying with people other than the jurors watching would cause him to have an epileptic seizure.
