Zinck pre-trial pushed back again
Posted Oct 13, 2011 11:30:45 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
New dates have been set for the preliminary inquiry in the fraud case against a sitting Member of the Nova Scotia Legislature.
Defence lawyer Lyle Howe told the court his client, Trevor Zinck, would not be able to attend the scheduled dates at the end of May and beginning of June because they conflict with the spring legislative session.
The judge tried to find dates earlier in the calendar year but eventually set aside June 11 through 15, plus June 20 and 21.
“These dates have to work,” the judge told both the Crown and defence lawyers. “We’ve been struggling to get this air born.”
“They’ve already been changed and normally preliminary inquiry dates, they’re pretty hard to find, just to find enough time for a matter like this,” explained Howe. “She indicated that they’re not going to revisit dates unless there is a pretty compelling reason.”
While history would suggest the new pre-trial dates will not conflict with the spring sitting of the legislature there is no guarantee.
“I don’t know if that will be a compelling enough reason for the judge,” said Howe regarding a further scheduling change.
Zinck is charged with fraud, theft and breach of trust.
Three former MLAs were also charged in the MLA expense scandal following a review of expense claims by the provincial auditor general and a subsequent investigation by the RCMP.
