Former Montreal baseball coach accused of sex assault on minor loses bid to throw out case
The trial of a West Island baseball coach accused of sexually abusing a minor will proceed after the case was almost thrown out due to unreasonable delays.
Robert Litvack, 43, filed a motion to seek a stay of proceedings after he was charged in 2021 on one count of sexual interference and one count of sexual assault.
Justice Jean Jacques Gagné dismissed the motion Thursday morning.
Robert Litvack, 43, leaves court with his lawyer on Thursday, April 25, 2024. He is set to go on trial in July 2024 on allegations of sexually assaulting a minor. (CTV News)
The defence had argued that by the time the trial was expected to end in mid-July, a total of 1,150 days, or roughly 38 months, would have passed since charges were laid, exceeding the deadline set by the Supreme Court of Canada's landmark Jordan ruling.
The top court set a limit of 30 months for trials to be completed in Superior Courts.
However, the judge attributed some of the delays — 249 days — to the defence, which means the total delay in the case was 901 days, or 29.6 months, since the charges were laid, just shy of the Jordan ceiling.
The trial is expected to begin July 15.
The accused coached minor baseball players and was a baseball coach and administrator with the Lac Saint-Louis baseball organization since 2008.
Litvack allegedly sexually assaulted one of his players during private lessons, police said in a news release after he was arrested.
-- with files from CTV News' Olivia O'Malley.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.