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Former Red Deer lawyer bought drugs from clients, fell asleep in court

Feb 27, 2018 | 9:00 PM

Documents released by the Law Society of Alberta explain what led to the eventual resignation of a former Red Deer lawyer.

Bradley James Mulder was suspended by the law society in October 2016 and his resignation was accepted last month following a hearing held in Calgary.

In an agreed statement of facts, Mulder admitted to using illegal substances and purchasing them from clients.

As well, Mulder confessed to accepting trust funds from clients without having a trust account, and missing scheduled court appearances which in five cases led to arrest warrants being issued for his clients.

He also admitted to falling asleep in court during the cross-examination of a witness, which he attributed to sleep apnea he was suffering from at the time.

In addition, Mulder failed to report a collision to RCMP and to notify the Law Society of Alberta he was facing criminal charges.

Mulder was arrested in February 2017, at the Sylvan Lake home of one of his clients, and charged with possession of counterfeit currency and possession of a prohibited weapon.

“Upon arrest the RCMP handcuffed me and put a jacket on me, this jacket did not belong to me,” Mulder said in his statement to the law society. “Once transported to the RCMP detachment and searched, the RCMP found a counterfeit twenty dollar bill and a switchblade knife in the pocket of the jacket they had put on me earlier.”

The counterfeit currency charge was withdrawn last September while the second count was withdrawn earlier this year after Mulder completed extra judicial sanctions.

This April, Mulder faces trial in Rimbey for stolen property-related charges.

(Troy Gillard)