Former Montreal Interim Mayor Michael Applebaum’s trial on corruption charges will begin in November, a judge ruled on Tuesday.
Applebaum was in court seeking a stay of proceedings, arguing the case was taking too long to go to trial. The judge instead moved the trial date up from its scheduled starting date in 2017.
When Applebaum originally filed the request in May, he argued the charges hanging over his head had damaged his reputation. He said he was unable to leave the house as people would stare at him and as a real estate agent, he found it difficult to attract clients.
At the time, the prosecution said his issues were the result of his former high-profile career in politics and not the court's fault.
"The total delay between the arrest and the trial of Mr. Applebaum has been reduced to 41 months, from which 23 months are institutional." said prosecutor Nathalie Kleber after the ruling. "Consequently, the judge has decided that this delay is reasonable and has dismissed the motion."
Through his attorney, Applebaum expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the judge's decision.
The former mayor was arrested in 2013 on charges of accepting bribes in connection to a real estate deal while serving as Mayor of Cote-des-Neiges-NDG.
