“My client has applied for legal aid and I will be writing a strong opinion letter saying appeal should be granted. We’ve already spoken to one of the top appellate lawyers in the province,” said Naeem Rauf.
He noted he was very sympathetic to Frenchman and would like to do the retrial, “but my client may want fresh eyes.”
Earlier this year, Frenchman was convicted of second-degree murder in relation to the death of 83-year-old Bonnyville senior Alfred Wagner during a home invasion and robbery in October 2016.
In July, Frenchman was sentenced to life imprisonment, and won't be eligible for parole for at least 13 years.
The conditions of his sentence also required him to provide a DNA sample to the court.
“Certainly we’ll be filing an appeal based on what I would describe as two blunders (the judge) made in the course of the trial,” explained Rauf
Rauf detailed two issues related to the admissibility of evidence, which were argued during the preliminary inquiry with Justice John S. Little before the trial began. A routine publication ban on the details of the preliminary inquiry is still in effect.
In an e-mail, a spokesperson for Alberta Justice and Solicitor General said "as the matter is still before the court, it would be inappropriate to comment."
