Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley did not appear in North Battleford court Monday to answer to improper storage of gun charges, though he wasn’t required to be present.
Defence lawyer Scott Spencer attended court via phone. The case was adjourned until April 16.
Outside court, Colten Boushie’s mother Debbie Baptiste used a ketchup bottle to imitate blood, spraying it on the snow.
She sat on the ground between signs reading “blood’s on your hands Gerald Stanley” and “RCMP covered it up!!”
Baptiste told reporters “shame on you Canada.”
“Laws are being broken. Treaties are being broken,” she said.
Alvin Baptiste, Colten Boushie’s uncle, said Canada needs to recognize issues Indigenous people face, including the justice system.
“In the courts is where our battles are now. We will continue fighting colonialism that still exists today,” Baptiste said.
WATCH: Coverage of the Gerald Stanley second-degree murder trial in the death of Colten Boushie.
Stanley was charged by RCMP in November 2016 with two counts of unsafe storage of firearms. The charges were laid following the fatal shooting of Colten Boushie, 22, in August 2016.
According to attorney Mark Brayford, who is not associated with the case, Stanley could face a maximum jail term of five years, but that is highly unlikely.
Brayford said a conditional discharge is the most common penalty.
“If you get a conditional discharge, you are being convicted, but if you comply with the terms of probation, typically for about a year, then you would not have a criminal record thereafter,” Brayford said.
Brayford added the accused is often given a conditional discharge if they have no prior convictions.
Stanley could also face a fine or a firearms probation.
Last month, a jury found Stanley not guilty of second-degree murder in Boushie’s death.
The Crown announced earlier this month there is no legal basis to appeal the verdict.