Jury trials suspended until September

SYDNEY — All Supreme Court jury trials in Nova Scotia have now been suspended until September as part of preventative measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The suspension is in effect until Sept. 8 but court officials are expected to re-evaluate the situation at the beginning of September.

The decision comes after court officials met with provincial health officials, including chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang, to discuss when the courts can start returning to normal operations.

Public health officials have advised it would be unsafe to have hundreds of people gather for jury selections and expect that social distancing demands could be accommodated.

The Supreme Court has been operating under an essential services model since March 19. The court has continued advances in recent weeks to expand the services available under that model. Virtual hearings and judicial settlement conferences are now available for some nonurgent civil matters in Halifax and will be expanded in the coming weeks to include the family division and general division.

For more information on how the Nova Scotia courts are operating during the pandemic, go to https://www.courts. ns.ca/News_of_Courts/ COVID19_Preventative_Measures.htm.

Plea date assigned

SYDNEY — A plea date has been set for a Sydney Mines man facing 22 criminal offences.

Frank Thomas Walker, 32, is charged with 12 counts of breaching court orders, three counts of theft, two counts of assault, two counts of resisting arrest and single counts of impaired driving, refusing a breathalyzer demand and mischief.

Walker had previously been released in April but was arrested and charged with multiple breaches of his release conditions.

He was released after posting $16,000 in property and agreeing to abide by such conditions as refraining from alcohol and drugs not prescribed to him, abide by a curfew and report, by phone, three times a week to police. Walker is now scheduled to enter pleas on July 9.