By Sheldon Spackman

Courtroom Confusion

Trial delayed again for Red Deer man accused of posing as lawyer

Oct 21, 2020 | 11:24 AM

There’s been another delay in the start of a trial for a Red Deer man accused of defrauding several people out of thousands of dollars by posing as a lawyer.

A trial for 29-year-old Chance Aaron Shaw was to take place in Red Deer provincial court on Monday.

However, soon after proceedings began it was discovered that a previous judge’s order directed that no Red Deer judges preside over the trial.

Neither Crown prosecutor Ed Ring or defense lawyer Craig Paterson was able to explain to Judge James Glass on Monday why the previous order from Judge Jim Hunter was put in place last December.

Glass granted a six-week adjournment so a new trial date could be set, telling both lawyers, “It’s got to move forward. I just want to get this thing done one way or another.”

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It was Shaw’s 18th court appearance in relation to the charges. His trial has now been set for Dec. 3 where he faces counts of fraud over $5000 and breach of conditions stemming from an incident on Feb. 2, 2018 where he’s accused of defrauding one person.

Shaw also faces several other counts in relation to multiple alleged fraud-related incidents between Dec. 1, 2016 and Apr. 17, 2017.

He was charged in July, 2017 following a months-long RCMP investigation that was launched in March of that year.

Mounties say the investigation began after receiving a complaint that the suspect had represented himself as a lawyer and had taken money from his victims in exchange for reportedly preparing legal documents.

According to police, several more complaints then came in, with RCMP identifying a total of nine victims who reportedly dealt with the suspect in return for legal services.

Among those, a process server who was hired by the suspect to serve a civil claim, and one victim who grew suspicious and did not pay the suspect, who Mounties say operated under the fictitious name of SS & Associates LLP.

In June of 2017, police executed a search warrant at the suspect’s residence and seized electronics and documents relevant to the investigation.

Shaw is scheduled for trial on those matters on Apr. 27, 2021.

Shaw also stands accused of selling a motorcycle in 2019 that he didn’t own. The alleged offenses occurred between June 4 and July 21 of that year.

Shaw was later arrested in November, 2019 and has remained in custody at Red Deer Remand Centre since then.

Shaw is scheduled for trial on those matters on Apr. 19, 2021.