by P.J. Harston
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 07/97) - A judge has refused to set a court date in the trial of Sally Look, a 10-year court employee charged with trafficking.

Judge Michel Bourassa told Crown and defence lawyers to "get on the phone immediately" with chief territorial court Judge Robert Halifax to arrange a new court date.

"The inconvenience to the Crown witness would be substantial," said Bourassa.

A Crown lawyer in Edmonton and defence lawyer Richard Peach, along with Halifax, had previously discussed scheduling Look's trial for March 2.

The discussion was required because a deputy judge from outside of Northwest Territories must be scheduled to hear the case and a only a Crown lawyer from outside the jurisdiction can prosecute it.

Local Crown lawyer Sandra Aitken told Bourassa that a new date is needed because a key witness - an RCMP officer involved in the bust - will be in Mexico at that time.

"He has already booked and paid for tickets at great expense for his wife, kids and two children for the trip to Mexico," said Aitken.

However, Peach said he was opposed to a date too far in the future and has previously stated that his client wants to deal with the charge as quickly as possible.

Bourassa asked the Crown and defence to return to court next Tuesday with an agreed-upon date.

Police charged Look, 35, last November after raiding her Yellowknife home. The court clerk has been suspended from her job with pay since the arrest.