Band Councillors Agree To Pay Chief’s Legal Bill
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 14:40
Three band councillors who were being sued by their chief have settled out of court, rather than face the prospect of jail time.
Peepeekisis First Nation councillors Evelyn Poitras, Enock Poitras and Howard Desnomie will pay for Chief Bev Bellegarde’s legal fees.
The lawsuit came after Bellegarde was dismissed earlier last year by a group of the community’s elders.
Bellegarde maintained that she was wrongfully dismissed.
A federal judge agreed and ordered the band to reinstate Bellegarde and pay for her lawyer’s fees.
Bellegarde was reinstated in September.
Last month, the three band councillors were given notice that they could face possible jail sentences if found guilty of being in contempt of court for failing to pay Bellegarde’s legal bill.