Unexpected twist at Joseph Yaremko sexual assault trial in Saskatoon
Defence lawyer Meagan Bortis withdraws on eve of final arguments for 'ethical reasons'
The trial of a Saskatoon man charged with sexual assault and unlawful confinement took an unexpected twist Tuesday when Joseph Yaremko's lawyer withdrew on the eve of final arguments for ethical reasons.
Meagan Bortis is not obliged to provide the court with any more detail about why she chose to no longer represent Yaremko. Justice Naheed Bardai granted her request.
Bardai offered the 39-year-old accused three choices on how to proceed.
It actually began as four choices, one being that Bortis continue to sit with Yaremko as a "friend of the court" to facilitate the final stages of the judge-alone trial at Court of Queen's Bench after she stepped down. Bortis, however, declined to act in any capacity for Yaremko moving forward.
Yaremko opted against going ahead Tuesday on his own, or adjourning to hire a new lawyer. Instead, he chose to argue his own case on Nov. 5 after reviewing the trial transcript.
The latest charges against Yaremko date back to June 3, 2019.
Yaremko is alleged to have forcefully entered an apartment in Saskatoon's Stonebridge neighbourhood at roughly 5 p.m. CST that day after knocking on the door and asking to use the phone.
Police say the man forced his way in when the woman in the apartment refused. Yaremko allegedly sexually assaulted the woman and threatened her if she attempted to leave.
She was able to leave the apartment the next morning, at which time she contacted police to report the incident.
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