Next judicial pre-trial in Ghomeshi sex assault case set for April 28
Posted March 27, 2015 5:46 am.
Last Updated March 27, 2015 12:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The next judicial pre-trial in the sexual assault case against disgraced CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi is set for April 28.
Crown attorneys and defence lawyers met behind closed doors with Justice Rebecca Rutherford at the College Park courthouse on Friday morning. Ghomeshi was not in attendance.
Ghomeshi’s lawyer Marie Henein has been appearing in place of her client in recent pre-trial hearings.
However, the former radio host has to appear in-person for the actual pre-trial, which has not yet been set.
A pre-trial is a conference between defence and prosecution under the eye of a judge. Several items are discussed, including scheduling, witnesses, evidence, and sometimes, potential deals could be struck.
Ghomeshi, 47, faces seven counts of sexual assault and one of overcoming resistance by choking from allegations that span from 2002 to 2008.
During a short court appearance in late February, Henein told the judge her defence team is still waiting for more material, but that “we want to move this along.”
The former Q host was fired by the public broadcaster in October and was first charged by police a month later. He is out on $100,000 bail.
In a January court appearance, three new complainants came forward resulting in three additional charges.
Only one of the six complainants — actress Lucy DeCoutere — can be identified publicly.
If convicted, Ghomeshi faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
With files from Marianne Boucher and The Canadian Press
