THUNDER BAY - Hearing a judge declare that they were not guilty of the crime of extortion after being charged nearly four years ago was a ruling Keith and Marisa Hobbs and Mary Voss eagerly anticipated.
“On behalf of Keith and Marisa, we can only say that they were confident that this day would come,” said attorney Brian Greenspan, speaking on behalf of Keith and Marisa Hobbs outside the Thunder Bay Courthouse on Thursday.
Justice Fletcher Dawson found Keith and Marisa Hobbs and Mary Voss not guilty of extortion in a Thunder Bay Courtroom on Thursday.
The verdict comes after a 15-day trial held last November and detailed alleged attempts by Keith and Marisa Hobbs and Voss to coerce the alleged victim into purchasing a house for Voss with threats of handing over incriminating evidence to police.
Dawson ultimately ruled the Crown did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that what took place constituted extortion and he questioned the credibility of several witnesses, including the alleged victim.
“Justice Dawson summarized the case perhaps in one simple phrase, it was an attempt by the investigation and the prosecution to put square pegs into round holes,” Greenspan said.
“It is very, very telling that the three witnesses upon whom the entire case depended were all rejected. They were clearly and unequivocally rejected as being truthful and there was at the end of the day really no case against them.”
Crown attorney, Peter Keen, said the ruling was not a disappointment because it is the job of the Crown to present all evidence before the court.
“The work in this case was making sure we put all the evidence forward, both helpful to us, helpful to the accused, helpful to the complainant, and make sure all of that evidence comes out in court and that was the objective in this case,” he said.
“The Crown’s job is to ensure justice is done. That means making sure the court has the information. A personal frustration, not really. The objective is to put the evidence forward, which I think we did.”
Greenspan said the allegations leveled against Keith and Marisa Hobbs have been a strain on their lives and they had to live on a daily basis with the pressure of criminal charges over their heads.
“All these allegations they denied,” he said. “There was a great deal of press and attention paid to these allegations that harmed them in many ways in the public and the community. Those allegations have been demonstrated not to be truthful or accurate.”
Attorney George Joseph, speaking on behalf of Mary Voss, said he could only use one word to describe this experience for his client.
“Despair, unrelenting despair being in the public eye and having her family‘s name splashed across the paper each time,” he said. “Mary Voss has always maintained her innocence. She is so thankful and so grateful that this is all over and looks forward to moving on in the next chapter of her life.”
Keen said the Crown will review the entire 155-page ruling by Justice Dawson, while Greenspan and Joseph say their clients are looking forward to returning back to a normal life.
“Marisa and Keith hope for a return to normalcy and a life that will be productive both in terms of their contributions to the community and a resumption of a life that has always been one of contribution and a family life that has always been a happy family life,” he said.
Complete coverage of Hobbs trial:
Day 1: Keith Hobbs trial starts today
Witness testifies of interactions between Hobbs and alleged extortion victim
Day 2: Details of extortion allegations heard at Hobbs trial
Day 3: Videos from USB drive given by Hobbs shown in court
Day 4: Alleged extortion victim calls behaviour in videos horrid and awful
'Pack your toothbrush' Hobbs alleged warned extortion victim
Day 5: Alleged extortion victim trying to ‘buy silence:’ Greenspan
Day 6: Alleged extortion victim believes Voss was ‘swayed’ by Keith and Marisa Hobbs
Witness testifies of agreement signed between alleged extortion victim and accused
Day 8: Homeowner testifies of Marisa Hobbs and Voss viewing $429,000 home
‘I have never extorted anyone’ Hobbs says during videotaped statement with OPP
Day 9: ‘We are guilty of being stupid:’ Marisa Hobbs tells police
Day 10: OPP investigator tells Voss ‘the truth will set you free’
Marisa Hobbs ‘won’t take no for an answer:’ Voss
Day 11: Voss believes alleged extortion victim 'set her up'
Day 12: Keith Hobbs testifies in extortion trial
Hobbs questioned about association with alleged extortion victim
Day 13: ‘I have never threatened (the victim):’ Hobbs testifies
Day 14: Evidence concludes in Hobbs, Voss extortion trial
Day 15: Closing submissions presented in Hobbs, Voss extortion trial
