A B.C. woman charged with aggravated assault who’s had several lawyers wants her case dismissed because it’s gone on too long.
Angela Rosario Ravina-Quispe was charged with aggravated assault following an incident involving another woman on June 21, 2020, according to the charge information sworn Oct. 9, 2020.
As of March 20, her case was 1,222 days old.
On March 19, Ravina-Quispe told Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Andrea Brownstone that her lawyers have told her to plead guilty in the case.
However, that’s not something she wants to do, she told the judge.
“If more than one lawyer has told you the same thing, there must be a reason,” Brownstone said.
A trial is currently set for June 24. Court documents indicate there are six witnesses involved.
Ravina-Quispe, however, wants to make a Jordan application for a stay of proceedings. The Jordan principles stem from a case that wound up in the Supreme Court of Canada. Stays of proceedings are possible if a case hits a ceiling of 18 months for those tried in the provincial court and 30 months for cases in superior courts.
Case records of proceedings show Ravina-Quispe had an initial court appearance on Oct. 14, 2020.
Since then, she has been through three lawyers, the last of which withdrew March 19.
In that time, there have been 69 court dates involving 13 Crown prosecutors and more than two dozen judges or justices of the peace.
Ravina-Quispe’s non-appearance in court has been noted six times in case records.
There had been a guilty plea and a sentencing hearing scheduled but that plea was struck Dec. 14.
A not-guilty plea was entered Feb. 2.
Delays have been waived by defence six times.
The case returns to court March 26 for Ravina-Quispe to say whether or not she has got a new lawyer.
