The second day of the trial of Curtis Sagmoen resulted in an adjournment.
Judge Jeremy Guild approved the defence’s application to adjourn the trial so that Sagmoen’s lawyer can have time to review hundreds of pages of new information from the Crown, in preparation of making a new charter challenge. The new disclosure documents were provided to the defence by the Crown on Feb. 25.
Sagmoen is charged with one count of assaulting a police officer in October 2020. Sagmoen pleaded not guilty to the charge on Tuesday, the first of four scheduled trial dates. The alleged assault took place while Sagmoen was being placed under arrest, and while a search warrant was being executed at the Salmon River Road farm property where he resides.
While in handcuffs, Sagmoen is alleged to have lunged at one of the police officers who was there to conduct the search warrant, pushing her against a wall.
After the court was adjourned at noon yesterday, defence lawyer Lisa Helps continued her argument that the new information she received — more than 500 pages — requires more time for review as much of it will impact the defence she makes. Helps said she plans to make a new charter challenged based significantly on the new information.
Crown counsel Simone McCallum urged the court to press forward with discussions of the alleged assault, and to continue the trial on Monday and Tuesday as scheduled. However, Judge Guild sided with the defence and granted an adjournment.
Guild also decided that a challenge to the search warrant that was executed on Oct. 29, 2020, could proceed to a hearing.
The matter will now continue Tuesday, March 8 at 2 p.m. for a pre-trial conference.
Sagmoen has been charged in the past with crimes against sex trade workers in the vicinity of his parents’ Salmon River Road property. Four months before police searched the Sagmoen farm in October 2020, Sagmoen was convicted of assaulting a sex worker at the farm by ramming into her with an ATV. Sagmoen didn’t serve any jail time on that conviction as he was credited with time served, but he was placed on three years of probation.
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