MONTREAL 鈥� A Quebec Superior Court judge has denied a Quebec billionaire businessman a stay of proceedings after his lawyers argued he was too sick to appear in court next month.
Robert Miller, founder of global electronics distributor Future Electronics, was arrested in May on 21 sex charges involving 10 complainants, many of whom were minors when the alleged offences occurred between 1994 and 2016.
Miller鈥檚 lawyers had argued that the 80-year-old Miller is bedridden and unable to participate in the trial or defend himself because his health has deteriorated from the effects of Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
In his decision dated Thursday, Judge Fran莽ois Dadour says he is not convinced by the urgency of the defence鈥檚 claim that Miller鈥檚 rights would be violated by having to appear in court on July 3.
Dadour adds that some of the future proceedings do not require Miller to appear physically in court or to oppose the charges.
However, the judge says the situation may 鈥渆volve鈥� and Miller鈥檚 condition could eventually interfere with his legal rights.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2024.
The Canadian Press
