Alexandre Bissonnette, who stands accused of killing six people and injuring many others in a Quebec City mosque, formally pleaded not guilty on Monday.
The 28-year-old alleged shooter is facing six charges of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder. The attempted murder charges are connected to five people who were seriously injured in the attack and another count for others who were present at the mosque at the time.
The day also marked by the presentation of preliminary motions by Bissonnette's lawyer that will have an effect on what evidence will be presented.
Bissonnette's lawyers are anticipating it will take three days to handle all of their legal requests and for the judge in the case to make rulings. Those requests are covered by a publication ban as jury selection does not begin until next week.
Until the jury is selected, there’s a need to keep certain details under wraps so as not to contaminate or influence potential jurors in any way.
Once the jury is chosen and shielded from the information, it's expected that the evidence will be presented to the jury and can be reported to the public.
The trial is expected to take two months.
