The consequences for Robert Charlie’s court case will be announced about six weeks from now.
The Burns Lake man will be sentenced on April 18, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Smithers Provincial Court.
“The judge that is seized with the sentence will be sitting in Smithers that week,” said Dan McLaughlin, communications counsel for the BC Prosecution Service - Ministry of Attorney General, explaining why there’s been a change in venue.
The case has been heard in Burns Lake courtrooms up until now, including March 2 when the final date was set for the judge in the matter to pronounce the final findings. It was determined that the court would reserve judgement until that time.
“In cases where judges need longer to think about the right decision, to do legal research, or to prepare clear, complete and persuasive reasons, they will ‘reserve’ judgment and draft written reasons to be provided at a later date,” said McLaughlin. “Most of the judgments published in law reports and online databases are written judgments.”
Charlie, a former chief of the Ts’il Kaz Koh First Nation [Burns Lake Band], was originally charged with one count of sexual interference and one count of sexual assault. He pleaded guilty to count one, sexual interference, during his July 13, 2021 appearance in Burns Lake Provincial Court.
According to court files, the matters at hand allegedly took place sometime between 1993 and 1994 inclusive.
Charlie had first appeared in court on Sept. 2, 2021 for a bail hearing. Charlie eventually entered a guilty plea on the count of sexual interference while no guilty plea was entered for the sexual assault count.
Due to a publication ban, the name and details of the complainant in the case will not be published.