Supporters of Jeffery Kraft's family gathered outside the Red Deer court house on Thursday. (rdnewsNOW / Sheldon Spackman)

By Sheldon Spackman

Potential Conflict Of Interest

Court-generated delay in local murder case

Aug 5, 2021 | 11:55 AM

The appointment of a former Red Deer defence lawyer to provincial court judge last month has now led to a delay in a local murder case.

T. Michael Scrase was previously serving as the defence lawyer for Tyler John Campbell, 28, who is charged in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Ponoka native Jeffery Kraft in Lacombe on Dec. 15, 2019.

Scrase, however, was appointed to provincial court judge for the Red Deer/Central Region beginning July 12. The appointment, according to Judge Jim Hunter, creates a perceived conflict of interest in the case, as Hunter is now Judge Scrase’s new supervisor.

Scrase successfully lobbied in April to be removed as counsel for Campbell after Judge Hunter twice rejected a joint Crown and defence submission of a seven-year prison sentence for Campbell. It brought the case to a point where Campbell now has a new lawyer (Rod Clark of Lacombe) and is currently applying to withdraw his previous guilty plea to manslaughter.

A hearing of the defence application to strike Campbell’s guilty plea was delayed in Red Deer provincial court on Thursday, with the case returning to court Aug. 10 to set a new date for a hearing.

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Judge Hunter told court Thursday that a judge from another jurisdiction would now be needed to hear the defence application to withdraw Campbell’s guilty plea.

If the application is unsuccessful, Judge Hunter could proceed with sentencing for Campbell. If the application is successful, however, a judge from another jurisdiction would be required to preside over the matter moving forward.