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Fitness assessment likely in murder case

A 22-year-old woman charged with murdering Rita Quinlan will be assessed to see if she’s fit to stand trial. Joline Cross appeared before Superior Court Justice Norm Karam Monday afternoon. He held the case over until 2 p.m.
A 22-year-old woman charged with murdering Rita Quinlan will be assessed to see if she’s fit to stand trial.

Joline Cross appeared before Superior Court Justice Norm Karam Monday afternoon.

He held the case over until 2 p.m. Tuesday, at which point Cross will likely be remanded to a psychiatric hospital for a fitness assessment.

Cross and Quinlan had been patients at the psychiatric hospital when the murder took place, and shared the same ward.

Police believe a disagreement between the two women had occurred prior to Quinlan’s death.

At a news conference Saturday North Bay Police Service inspector Mark Montgomery said the victim had been strangled.

A post-mortem examination was held Monday and the official cause of death is listed as asphyxia.

Cross had not retained council by the time court went into session Monday.

Criminal lawyers Shelly Lechlitner and Frank Falconi addressed Karam about the situation, as did Cross.

But a court-ordered ban prevents their remarks from being published.

The matter of an assessment order had been discussed among
Lechlitner, Falconi, Crown attorney John Holland and Justice Karam in the judge's chambers prior to court starting.

Subsection 672.11 of the Canadian Criminal Code states a court can order an assessment “of the mental condition of the accused,” if there are reasonable grounds to believe that “such evidence is necessary” to determine whether the accused is unfit to stand trial; and whether the accused was, at the time the alleged offence was committed, “suffering from a mental disorder so as to be exempt from criminal responsibility by virtue of subsection 16(1)."

Cross, a shock of brown corkscrew curls upon her head, and wearing a track green track suit and white socks, sat impassively in the prisoner’s box waiting for court to begin.

She glanced around the courtroom several times, and appeared to wave once at Det. Cst. Barry Ramsay and Dt. Cst. Mike Hunter, of the North Bay Police Service, who are part of the case management team.

Cross’s brother Blaine sat behind her and the two chatted briefly.

Monday morning Cross appeared in bail court, where her proceedings were move to the Superior Court of Justice.

Quinlan’s son and sister attended, police confirmed.