Pat King, a vocal protester during the convoy protests against COVID-19 mandates, says he is still looking for a lawyer despite being arrested in mid-February.
King is facing 10 charges related to his alleged leading role in the protests in downtown Ottawa earlier this year to oppose the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate and other restrictions.
While he has appeared in several bail hearings since his arrest on Feb. 18, King says he does not yet have an official legal representative.
“I’m in the process of shopping for lawyers right now,” King told an Ontario court in a virtual hearing on April 4. “Due to the importance of this matter, I want to make sure we have proper representation.”
Crown attorney Moiz Karimjee has voiced concern about the time King has been taking to secure lawyers on the record.
King has said in past court appearances that it has been hard to connect with legal counsel while he’s been in custody. He said two lawyers are representing him for his upcoming bail review, though neither of them appeared in the hearing on April 4, where King spoke for himself.
King, who remains in the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre since his arrest, faces charges including mischief, intimidation, obstructing police and disobeying a court order. He is scheduled to return to court later in April.
Despite being a visible figure during the Ottawa protests, he is not one of the Freedom Convoy organizers, a lawyer from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom, which represents several of the convoy leaders, said in a press conference on Feb. 6.
Another co-accused, Tyson George Billings, also appeared in the virtual hearing on April 4 from the Quinte Detention Centre in Napanee, Ont. Billings is charged with two counts each of intimidation and obstructing police, and one count each of mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to obstruct police, counselling to intimidation, disobeying a court order, and counselling to disobey a court order, CTV News reported.
He is set to return to court on April 19.
Key Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich was granted bail on March 7 on a $25,000 bond, after spending 19 days in jail for charges related to the protests.
