Law firm representing Cree woman fighting murder conviction put into ‘custodianship’

(Shawn Beaver, left, has been suspended by the Alberta Law Society and his firm put into custodianship. Alexandra Seaman, right, was employed by the firm and represents Connie Oakes in her appeal of a murder conviction. University of Alberta photo.)

Jorge Barrera
APTN National News
The Edmonton law firm employing a lawyer representing a Cree woman fighting a murder conviction before the Alberta Court of Appeal has been put into “custodianship” after its owner was suspended by the law society.

The Law Society of Alberta suspended Shawn Beaver citing the allegations surrounding his “conduct” led the society to conclude the move was “warranted.” Beaver’s law firm Beaver, Leebody, Frank and Associates, was put into the custodianship of Calgary lawyer Brenda Edwards.

Beaver’s law firm employs Alexandra Seaman who is one of two appeal lawyers for Connie Oakes, a Cree woman from Nekaneet First Nation in southern Saskatchewan who was convicted of murdering a man from Medicine Hat., Alta.

“The custodianship order will not affect Ms. Oakes’ appeal and should not take the focus away from the important issues in this case. The custodianship order relates to the conduct of Mr. Beaver and not the conduct of any of the other lawyers previously practicing at Beaver Leebody & Associates,” said Seaman, in a statement.

Edwards also said the custodianship would not “affect” Oakes’ case.

“It will continue to be the same,” she said.

Oakes’ other appeal lawyer Aleksandra Simic, who is not part of Beaver’s firm, told APTN National News also the situation would not impact the appeal process. Simic said the custodianship had to follow a set-out process for all of the law firm’s clients.

Oakes is fighting her second degree murder conviction partly on fresh evidence grounds. The Crown’s primary witness during the trial now says Oakes wasn’t there in a sealed affidavit filed as part of the appeal.

With no murder weapon, DNA or fingerprint evidence linking Oakes to the crime, the police and the Crown relied on the testimony of Wendy Scott, a self-described small town crack dealer with an IQ of 50. Scott initially accused three other people of the murder before claiming she was with Oakes when Casey Armstrong was killed.

A man’s size 11 bloody boot print was found on the bathroom floor that police never managed to trace. Armstrong was found dead in his bathtub.

Oakes’ recently lost a bid for appeal bail and the National Parole Board twice denied her compassionate lave application. Oakes applied to see her 22 year-old son who was dying of cancer and then applied again to go to his funeral.

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