Convicted BC pimp fires lawyers again, judge raises concerns over more delays
Posted September 22, 2015 11:04 am.
Last Updated September 22, 2015 3:58 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER – A BC man convicted of luring teenage girls into a prostitution ring has once again fired his lawyers.
It’s the third time Reza Moazami has dismissed his defence counsel since his arrest in 2011.
Moazami was convicted last September of 30 of 36 charges against him in BC’s first human-trafficking conviction, including sexual exploitation, sexual assault and living off the avails of prostitution.
His sentencing was initially scheduled for last December but was repeatedly delayed, in part due to the revolving door of defence lawyers on the case.
Crown lawyer Kristin Bryson says everyone involved has worked hard to ensure Moazami has a fair trial but that the process has been marred by what she calls endless antics.
BC Supreme Court Justice Catherine Bruce says she’s concerned Moazami’s decision will result in further delays.
NEWS 1130 Legal Expert Michael Shapray says he hasn’t seen any data on how often this happens, so he’s not sure how common it is for the accused to fire their representation this many times. But he says judges are reluctant to allow defendants to represent themselves.
“Certainly, there’s a real push for judges to ensure that people have counsel and that they’re not self-represented. So, if there is a breakdown in the relationship between a lawyer and a client where that has presented in the court, the courts will often delay a case at least once to ensure that the person does get their lawyer. The question is what happens if that keeps happening? At what point does the court intervene and say you either go with the lawyer that you had or you go without a lawyer altogether.”
And it seems the judge, in this case, has reached that point. The sentencing has been put over to the end of next month and the judge has warned Moazami it will proceed then even if he has to represent himself.
