COURTROOM BUILT FOR CASE

EDMONTON - The "super courtroom" built to house Edmonton's big
drug-conspiracy trial won't be a white elephant even though most of
the case has collapsed, a Justice department spokesman says.

The province erected a $2.1-million high-security facility to handle
up to 40 prisoners at one time, after three dozen people were charged
with being part of a criminal gang and conspiring to sell cocaine in
1999.

Prisoners and spectators sit behind protective glass, computer
monitors are available on the lawyers' desks and whoever is speaking
in the courtroom is shown on a large-screen TV. But this much space
wasn't needed after the case was split into two trials in 2001,
especially since 10 accused had charges dropped or pleaded guilty to
lesser counts.

However, the facility is still useful, Alberta Justice spokesman Jason
Chance said Monday.

"The large courtroom has been used and will continue to be used as
much as any other courtroom in the Edmonton courthouse complex."

One jury trial sat there to hear from an out-of-province witness
testifying by video link and it was also used by another drug case
that had 16 accused, he said.

In 1999, the Manitoba government spent $3.6 million to buy a vacant
building and turn it into a special courtroom for what it expected to
be a huge trial involving alleged members of the Manitoba Warriors
native gang.

But the case crumbled and the structure sat idle.

Chance insisted that won't happen here.

"The most important difference between these two facilities is that
this one is part of the Edmonton law courts building."

CHRONOLOGY OF THE CASE

- - Sept. 24, 1999: Three dozen people are arrested in raids in Edmonton
and other parts of Alberta in connection with an alleged cocaine
trafficking gang; two men die when they fall from a fourth-floor
apartment balcony during one raid.

- - Among the accused are De Trang, 57, his wife Kim, 53, sons Tuan, 32,
and Binh, 28, and nephew Cuong, 29.

- - March 2000: The province announces construction of a high-security,
high-tech, super-courtroom in the basement of the Edmonton law courts
building to handle the massive gang trial; the facility costs $2.1
million.

- - Oct. 20, 2000: With 11 people still unable to hire legal help, Court
of Queen's Bench Justice Mel Binder orders the federal government to
pay lawyers $150 an hour for up to 70 hours a week to work on the case.

By September 2002, the government has paid them $13.8 million in fees
and disbursements; lawyers estimate that figure has gone up by at
least $6 million in the past year.

- - February 2001: A hearing starts before Justice Richard Marceau into
complaints by people accused in the case over conditions at the
Edmonton Remand Centre.

They're concerned about poor food and ventilation, mistreatment by
guards, lack of medical attention and unsanitary clothing; the hearing
is not expected to finish before 2004.

- - March 2001: The prosecution moves to simplify proceedings by
dropping most charges against most of the accused and then splitting
the case into two trials.

Binder handles charges against nine men of belonging to a criminal
organization, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and -- for De, Tuan and
Binh Trang -- possession of proceeds of crime.

Justice Doreen Sulyma starts a separate trial for 21 people, charged
with conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, in the basement
super-courtroom.

- - May 21, 2002: Crown stays charges without explanation against six in
the Sulyma hearing; three other people have already pleaded guilty to
lesser charges.

- - March-June 2003: Arguments heard over whether Charter of Rights and
Freedoms violated by undue delay of the trial.

- - Sept. 8, 2003: Sulyma accepts defence argument, stays charges
against 11 people remaining in her "basement" trial; proceedings
continue for the eight men still in the Binder hearing.