Kindersley mother charged with murder of infant daughter back in court June 16

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The court case against a Kindersley mother charged with second-degree murder in the death of her one-month-old daughter continues to move slowly through the Saskatchewan court system.

Teenie Rose Steer, 28, appeared in Saskatoon provincial court on Thursday. The case was adjourned until June 16.

This is the fifth adjournment since Steer was arrested on Feb. 25.

A 2016 Supreme Court ruling, known as Jordan’s Decision, found that in order to protect a defendant’s constitutional right to a timely trial, provincial court cases must be heard within 18 months after charges are laid; if not, the charges can be dropped. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays and adjournments of cases in courts across the province.

The Saskatchewan Trial Lawyers Association expressed concern about the backlog the pandemic is creating in the court system.

Starting in mid-March, court cases for non-custody accused and docket proceedings at Saskatchewan circuit courts were adjourned until after May 31 due to the pandemic. Bail hearings and sentencing hearings for accused people held in custody have continued by phone and video conferencing at the 13 permanent court locations in Saskatchewan that have remained open.