A former St. Albert resident who had previously worked as a corporate lawyer in Edmonton has been formally disbarred by the Law Society of Alberta, nearly six years after he killed an Edmonton teenager while driving drunk.
A notice published online by the Law Society on Jan. 9 explains that Shane Stevenson, who now lives in Edmonton, submitted an application to resign from the Society late last year, which the Society's resignation committee accepted on Dec. 6.
“Stevenson is therefore disbarred, effective immediately,” the notice reads.
The notice states that Stevenson was facing disciplinary proceedings as a result of his October, 2020 guilty plea for the charge of impaired driving causing death, and that his resignation means the proceeding will not continue.
In April of 2018, while driving drunk in a Ford F-150, Stevenson, who had been working with the international law firm Dentons at the time, hit and killed 16-year-old Chloe Wiwchar as she crossed Kingsway Road in marked crosswalk.
At the time of his guilty plea, the Gazette reported Stevenson was estimated to be driving between 69 and 83 km/h when he struck Wiwchar.
After hitting the teenager, Stevenson fled the scene only to be found a short time later in an alley near 107 Avenue and 108 Street in Edmonton. His blood alcohol level at the time of his arrest was reported to be more than double the legal limit.
Stevenson was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison as a result, however, he was granted statutory release last February after serving a little more than two years of his sentence.
Federal offenders can be granted statutory release after serving two-thirds of their sentences.
As part of his conditional release, Stevenson is prohibited from drinking or consuming drugs, driving, attending bars, and he must also report regularly to a parole officer.
Stevenson will be prohibited from driving for another year-and-a-half after his 3.5 year sentence concludes.
