MONTREAL — The case against the man charged with first-degree murder in Quebec’s 2012 election night shooting has been postponed once again because he continues to have difficulty securing a lawyer.
Richard Henry Bain’s newest lawyer, Montreal attorney Alan Guttman, said Friday that he has agreed to take on the case but wants to ensure that he’s paid.
Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer postponed the case to March 31 to allow Guttman to negotiate with the Quebec government over compensation.
Guttman said outside the courtroom Bain doesn’t have the money to pay for a lawyer and he doesn’t know if the government will agree to his demands.
Bain is charged in the slaying of lighting technician Denis Blanchette outside a Montreal venue where then-premier-elect Pauline Marois was giving a victory speech toasting her party’s election win.
He is also charged with two counts of attempted murder stemming from the Sept. 4, 2012 incident.
Cournoyer also granted a postponement to allow a psychiatric assessment to be completed.
The Crown told the court it wants Bain’s trial to start before the summer but Guttman said that timetable was “impossible.”
Bain was originally scheduled to go to trial last month before the case was postponed.
Guttman said he’d only be ready to proceed in the fall.
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