Robert Miller, billionaire accused of sex crimes, makes 1st court appearance
Montreal billionaire Robert Miller appeared in court on Monday, making a rare public appearance as his lawyers argue that he is too sick to stand trial.
Miller, 81, is facing 24 charges related to sex crimes involving 11 women, most of whom were minors at the time of the alleged crimes.
He has pleaded not guilty and has denied the allegations against him.
Miller has not previously appeared in court, but on Monday, he appeared via videoconference. He wore a mask and a Boston Red Sox baseball cap and he appeared frail.
Miller's lawyers are arguing that he has advanced stage Parkinson's disease and is unfit to stand trial. They have submitted assessments from several doctors who have determined that Miller's health is poor and going to trial could worsen his condition or even prove fatal.
On Monday, the court heard from a medical expert called by the Crown.
Dr. Pierre Blanchet, a Parkinson's disease expert, testified that he met Miller for a 45-minute evaluation on May 20. He said Miller appeared frail, underweight, weak and was experiencing cognitive decline.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
40 minutes ago
- CBC
P.E.I. judge to decide this fall on legality of DNA taken from Byron Carr murder suspect
Dates have been set for court proceedings that will determine whether the DNA collected from Todd Joseph Gallant as part of the investigation used to charge him with the murder of Byron Carr violated his rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Gallant has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of interfering with human remains connected to the 1988 killing of the 36-year-old Montague Regional High School teacher. Charlottetown Police had long said they believed Carr had consensual sex with a young man he brought to his Charlottetown home, and presumed that person was his killer. Advances in technology prompted the force to reopen the Carr cold case in 2007. Last year, Charlottetown Police announced it had used genetic genealogy to match a DNA sample taken from underwear at the Carr crime scene to Gallant, who lived on P.E.I. at the time of the murder but left the province shortly afterward. He returned to the Island in 2022. Gallant's lawyer, Chris Montigny, told CBC News on Tuesday that the defence is taking issue specifically with one step in the process that investigators said they used to match the crime scene DNA to Gallant. "We're alleging that the seizure of some of the evidence was contrary to the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure," Montigny said. "An accused person is allowed to ask a court to consider whether or not that evidence was collected in violation of their Charter rights — and if so, what is the appropriate remedy? "In this case, we're asking that that evidence that we say was gathered improperly be excluded from the trial." Sample gathered in 2023 Montigny said this comes down to "an opportunity to get DNA" from Gallant in 2023 when had returned to P.E.I. and was living in Souris. No details have emerged in court about how this DNA was gathered. Gallant has already pleaded not guilty and elected for his case to be heard before a judge and jury in the Supreme Court of P.E.I. But the arguments on whether the DNA evidence can be produced will be made before a judge alone, starting Oct. 8. In the meantime, both Montigny and the Crown prosecutor handling the case will be preparing for that hearing. They have to file documents with the court on dates that were fixed during a court appearance on Tuesday. The hearing in October will involve calling witnesses, which Montigny said will likely include police officers who took part in the investigation. Gallant has been in jail for a year and a half so far and will stay there until his next scheduled appearance, at the October hearing.
CTV News
42 minutes ago
- CTV News
Edmonton police say shootings are down from last month
Edmonton police say that shootings have been on the decline. There were eight recorded shootings last month, a decrease from 11 shootings recorded in April and the 10 shootings recorded in May 2024. 'The drop in shootings last month is certainly a positive and hopefully is a trend,' says Staff Sgt. David Graham of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Firearms Investigation Section. 'The EPS has built a strategy to not only fully investigate every shooting and the individuals and groups involved but also trace the origins of the firearms in an effort to work towards prevention.' EPS Edmonton police say shootings have gone down from last month. (Supplied) Of the eight reported shootings in May, seven were believed to be targeted and five resulted in reported injuries. There was one death as a result of a shooting last month. Police also seized 56 firearms in May, contributing to a total of 312 seized so far this year. Last year at this time, Edmonton police had confiscated 332 firearms.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Father and 14-year-old son charged after Orono mosque vandalized, antisemitic pamphlets placed at Bowmanville store
A Durham Regional Police officer's logo emblem is shown at a Bowmanville, Ont. shopping centre parking lot on Tuesday Feb. 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives A man and his 14-year-old son have been charged after allegedly placing antisemitic pamphlets at a Canadian Tire in Bowmanville in January and vandalizing a mosque in Orono last month. Durham Regional Police said the first incident occurred on the afternoon of Jan. 30 at a Canadian Tire store on Green Road. An unknown man entered the store and was caught on camera putting antisemitic pamphlets throughout the building, police said. Employees discovered the pamphlets and reported them to the police. Meanwhile, on the evening of May 24, police were called to a mosque at 111 Church Street North after several vehicles and the front door were vandalized. As a result of their investigation, police executed two search warrants at a home in Orono on Monday and arrested two people without incident. Police said they also seized several items. One suspect, a 34-year-old man, has been charged with mischief to property while his teenage son is facing a charge of mischief relating to religious property. Police said the two were released on an undertaking. 'We recognize the significant impact these incidents have had on our community, particularly among members of the Jewish and Muslim communities,' Durham police said in a news release on Tuesday. 'Acts that target or instill fear in any group are unacceptable and are taken very seriously. We remain committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and well-being of everyone in our community.' Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact them at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1600 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
