Robert Steven Wright did not appear on screen during a remote court appearance from prison on June 12 before a North Bay judge but his counsel's agent did confirm the next milestones in his ongoing criminal matter in North Bay.
A judicial pre-trial (JPT) is now set for July 8. Justice A.H. Perron set a return court date of July 17 for Wright.
Counsel will seek instructions from their client between those dates on how to proceed. Unless his case is resolved at the JPT stage, Wright's legal team may initiate a preliminary inquiry, plead out, or go to trial.
Wright is facing charges of criminal harassment, forcible confinement, and two counts of sexual assault after an investigation by North Bay police regarding alleged incidents that pre-dated his Sudbury murder conviction. Wright is imprisoned at Millhaven Institution, a maximum security facility near Bath, Ont.
Wright is also serving a life sentence for the 1998 murder of Renée Sweeney and has been in custody since his arrest in 2018.
Justice Perron is scheduled to preside over the JPT on July 8. A JPT is a meeting between the accused’s lawyer, the Crown, and a judge and is an opportunity to sort out issues before the trial or, if possible, resolve the case without a trial, which might involve a withdrawal of the charge(s), diversion, or a guilty plea. Unless the case can be resolved, the conclusion of the JPT will usually be a guilty plea, or request for trial.
Previously, a May 2 Crown pre-trial (CPT) meeting allowed Wright and his lawyers to meet with the Crown outside the courtroom to discuss the charges. It is usually held after disclosure to allow for fulsome discussion, and for the accused to learn what evidence may be raised at trial, or, if desired, for them to resolve their case with a guilty plea and a sentencing recommendation.
The Crown and Wright’s legal team were unable to come to a resolution on the matter, so the case proceeded to the JPT phase.
— With files from Jenny Lamothe, Sudbury.com.
