Court briefs
Sex offender held in custody
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 18, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A convicted sex offender has agreed to be held in custody after he was arrested in connection with a break and enter in Old Town on Oct. 4.
Bobby Zoe, 32, has been convicted of three sexual crimes in the past, including sexually assaulting a young woman on 53 Street in 2011. He was sentenced to 39 months in prison for that assault and was due out of jail on April 11, 2014.
Zoe was released early and was on probation when he was arrested in connection with the Oct. 4 break and enter. A family was inside the house at the time, but their dog scared the suspect away.
Zoe still has the right to a bail hearing, meaning he could be released while awaiting his trial. He will be in territorial court again on Oct. 22.
Bail hearings no longer heard by judges
The Yellowknife courts will no longer put bail hearings before a judge.
Chief Judge Robert Gorin said the policy has been in place for about a month. When an accused is arrested, they'll usually undergo a "show cause" or bail hearing, where it will be decided if they should be detained or released while awaiting their trial.
The bail hearings will now be held in front of justices of the peace.
Justices of the peace can often be seen presiding over traffic ticket cases. They can also carry out marriage ceremonies.
The justice department was unable to be reached for comment on the reason for the change.
RCMP officer in court on assault charge
A Yellowknife RCMP officer appeared in territorial court on Tuesday to make a plea to assault charges, but his lawyer requested his plea be adjourned one week.
Const. Cory Wallace is alleged to have assaulted a prisoner while escorting him from the Yellowknife courthouse on March 14. The prisoner was injured in the process.
Wallace is now scheduled to make his plea on Oct. 22 in territorial court.
He has been on administrative duties since the RCMP investigation into his charges began on March 15.
Thanksgiving check stops
A number of drivers were stopped for driving offences over the Thanksgiving weekend in Yellowknife, including at least three impaired drivers.
RCMP, in co-operation with the Municipal Enforcement Division, conducted check stops over the weekend across the Northwest Territories. RCMP laid three impaired driving charges in Yellowknife and two 24-hour driving suspensions.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Todd Scaplen said 24-hour suspensions are usually handed out to those who may be impaired by drugs, fatigue, or have less than the legal limit of alcohol in their blood.
RCMP and bylaw officers also handed out a total of 52 tickets for infractions, such as speeding and not wearing seat belts.
There were no fatalities or major injuries on Yellowknife roads during the holiday weekend. RCMP want to remind drivers to drive safely as the weather conditions change.
