EDMONTON - The trial for two Alberta men accused of aiding notorious Mountie killer James Roszko won't begin until the spring, but the lawyer for one of the men is already signalling that jury selection may be a battle.
D'arcy Depoe, the lawyer for Shawn Hennessey, says he may ask at a pre-trial conference that he be allowed to question potential jurors to determine whether they have already formed strong opinions about the case.
Hennessey, 29, and Dennis Cheeseman, 24, are charged with helping Roszko, who killed himself after ambushing and killing four RCMP officers at his farm in Mayerthorpe, Alta., in 2005.
Lawyers for the two men appeared in Court of Queen's Bench today and a trial date was set for April 6, 2009.
The accused, who are on bail and weren't in court for the hearing, are charged with first-degree murder under a Criminal Code provision that states someone who helps a person commit a crime can be found guilty of the same crime.
