THUNDER BAY - The Crown prosecutor is not proceeding on one of two charges laid against Thunder Bay mayor, Keith Hobbs and his wife Marissa Hobbs.
In a Thunder Bay courtroom on Monday, crown prosecutor Peter Keen said the crown is not proceeding with the obstruction of justice charge and has not laid an indictment.
At the conclusion of a nine-day preliminary hearing that began in late June, Justice David Gibson ruled there was enough evidence to proceed to trial on all charges.
However, Keen said the decision not to lay the indictment was made after taking into consideration comments and notes made by Gibson in his ruling following the preliminary hearing.
Brian Greenspan, who is representing Keith and Marissa Hobbs said after the preliminary hearing that “it’s fair to assess the judge’s comments on the obstruction that the crown’s committal is by the skin of their teeth."
The matter has be adjourned until Oct. 29 to set a trial date.
Mary Voss is also to stand trial for the charge of extortion.
Keith and Marissa Hobbs and Voss were charged by the Ontario Provincial Police in July 2017. The initial court indictment accuses them of using “threats, accusations or menace of disclosing criminal allegations to the police” against former Thunder Bay attorney Alexander Zaitzeff in an effort to force him to purchase a house for Voss to live.
