Gary Norris — a former provincial government clerk of the executive council and deputy minister — is Norris's father and was there with a large group of supporters. His wife, Anne Norris's mother, Florence, was seated beside him. She cried at times during proceedings.
Former RNC chief Bob Johnston and former RNC deputy chief William Brown — friends of the family — were also in the courtroom.
Marcel Reardon — who Norris is suspected of killing earlier this month — had a large representation in the courtroom as well, including his brother Scott and his wife, Lee Doyle. Doyle had spoken out to the media a few years ago, when her mother was killed in October 2013 after William Conway ran over her in a drunken stupor.
Norris appeared via videolink from the Correctional Centre for Women in Clarenville.
She was quiet, except to answer questions Judge Mike Madden asked about whether or not she could hear what was going on in court.
Norris's new lawyers, Jerome Kennedy and Rosellen Sullivan, appeared in court, along with Crown prosecutor Elaine Reid, who is the assistant director of public prosecutions.
Kennedy told the judge that they have made "a more extensive request for disclosure."
He said he's also had discussions with Reid regarding unsealing of search warrants.
He pointed to the seriousness of the matter and the importance that he and Sullivan stay on top of things.
They agreed to set the case over until May 31.
Family members on both sides declined comment after proceedings.
Norris is charged with first-degree murder and breaching an undertaking for failing to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
She was arrested a few weeks ago after a police investigation concluded she killed Reardon.
A resident found the 46-year-old’s body under a staircase at Harbour View Apartments on Brazil Street on the morning of May 9.
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary investigators have recovered a weapon.
Sullivan and Kennedy were retained last week to represent Norris.
Sullivan, of Simmonds + Partners Defence, and Kennedy, a former provincial Justice minister who now works with Roebothan Mackay and Marshall, are former colleagues who teamed up in 2007 to win an appeal in a case involving a youth convicted of manslaughter.
The youth was involved in killing Richard Brace at a house in Carbonear on Canada Day 2005. Sullivan and Kennedy were successful is having the teenager serve a three-year youth sentence, instead of an adult sentence in prison.
Kennedy spoke with reporters about the Norris case after proceedings.
"In any murder case, it's highly emotional and stressful," he said, when asked how Norris was doing. "And we have a first-degree murder charge which is the most serious offence known in Canadian law.
"Plus, we have the death of another human being, which brings stress to everybody involved. We have Miss Norris undergoing intense emotional stress, we have her family and friends affected by this and we have the family of the deceased, who are also affected by this. So, it's a tough situation all around."
Kennedy admitted that he's known Gary Norris for some time and was asked by the family to consider representing Anne Norris.
"Certainly, I didn't expect to be back doing a murder trial," he said.
When asked about the recent suggestions that another person may have been involved in Reardon's murder, Kennedy said they would not be speculating at this point.
"Our role is to ensure that Miss Norris's constitutional rights are protected and to ensure that she receives a fair trial," he said.
"It doesn't help anyone or anything at this point by speculating, so we're certainly not going to engage in that."
He said he and Sullivan will decide how to proceed based on the police evidence.
He said while it's important to convict people who are guilty, he pointed out that it's also important to ensure those who are not guilty are not convicted.
Kennedy said there are certain aspects of this case that have to be looked at closely.
"I've done every kind of murder trial and investigated every kind of murder case over the last 30 years and it's just the circumstances of this case (that makes it so difficult), " said Kennedy. He said media reports of Norris's background about her having spent time at the Waterford hospital are accurate.
"You see this young woman in the situation she finds herself in … Not only in criminal cases do we ask who done it, but we have to look at all the facts," Kennedy said, adding those facts — just the fact that she's charged and her age and her background is something that certainly requires full investigation and consideration.
Kennedy said it's too early to say at this point whether or not they would seek a finding of not criminally responsible.
Twitter: @TelyCourt
Gary Norris — a former provincial government clerk of the executive council and deputy minister — is Norris's father and was there with a large group of supporters. His wife, Anne Norris's mother, Florence, was seated beside him. She cried at times during proceedings.
Former RNC chief Bob Johnston and former RNC deputy chief William Brown — friends of the family — were also in the courtroom.
Marcel Reardon — who Norris is suspected of killing earlier this month — had a large representation in the courtroom as well, including his brother Scott and his wife, Lee Doyle. Doyle had spoken out to the media a few years ago, when her mother was killed in October 2013 after William Conway ran over her in a drunken stupor.
Norris appeared via videolink from the Correctional Centre for Women in Clarenville.
She was quiet, except to answer questions Judge Mike Madden asked about whether or not she could hear what was going on in court.
Norris's new lawyers, Jerome Kennedy and Rosellen Sullivan, appeared in court, along with Crown prosecutor Elaine Reid, who is the assistant director of public prosecutions.
Kennedy told the judge that they have made "a more extensive request for disclosure."
He said he's also had discussions with Reid regarding unsealing of search warrants.
He pointed to the seriousness of the matter and the importance that he and Sullivan stay on top of things.
They agreed to set the case over until May 31.
Family members on both sides declined comment after proceedings.
Norris is charged with first-degree murder and breaching an undertaking for failing to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
She was arrested a few weeks ago after a police investigation concluded she killed Reardon.
A resident found the 46-year-old’s body under a staircase at Harbour View Apartments on Brazil Street on the morning of May 9.
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary investigators have recovered a weapon.
Sullivan and Kennedy were retained last week to represent Norris.
Sullivan, of Simmonds + Partners Defence, and Kennedy, a former provincial Justice minister who now works with Roebothan Mackay and Marshall, are former colleagues who teamed up in 2007 to win an appeal in a case involving a youth convicted of manslaughter.
The youth was involved in killing Richard Brace at a house in Carbonear on Canada Day 2005. Sullivan and Kennedy were successful is having the teenager serve a three-year youth sentence, instead of an adult sentence in prison.
Kennedy spoke with reporters about the Norris case after proceedings.
"In any murder case, it's highly emotional and stressful," he said, when asked how Norris was doing. "And we have a first-degree murder charge which is the most serious offence known in Canadian law.
"Plus, we have the death of another human being, which brings stress to everybody involved. We have Miss Norris undergoing intense emotional stress, we have her family and friends affected by this and we have the family of the deceased, who are also affected by this. So, it's a tough situation all around."
Kennedy admitted that he's known Gary Norris for some time and was asked by the family to consider representing Anne Norris.
"Certainly, I didn't expect to be back doing a murder trial," he said.
When asked about the recent suggestions that another person may have been involved in Reardon's murder, Kennedy said they would not be speculating at this point.
"Our role is to ensure that Miss Norris's constitutional rights are protected and to ensure that she receives a fair trial," he said.
"It doesn't help anyone or anything at this point by speculating, so we're certainly not going to engage in that."
He said he and Sullivan will decide how to proceed based on the police evidence.
He said while it's important to convict people who are guilty, he pointed out that it's also important to ensure those who are not guilty are not convicted.
Kennedy said there are certain aspects of this case that have to be looked at closely.
"I've done every kind of murder trial and investigated every kind of murder case over the last 30 years and it's just the circumstances of this case (that makes it so difficult), " said Kennedy. He said media reports of Norris's background about her having spent time at the Waterford hospital are accurate.
"You see this young woman in the situation she finds herself in … Not only in criminal cases do we ask who done it, but we have to look at all the facts," Kennedy said, adding those facts — just the fact that she's charged and her age and her background is something that certainly requires full investigation and consideration.
Kennedy said it's too early to say at this point whether or not they would seek a finding of not criminally responsible.
Twitter: @TelyCourt
