THUNDER BAY - Keith and Marissa Hobbs and Mary Voss should find out in December when they will stand trial for charges of extortion during a judicial pre-trial.
In a Thunder Bay Courtroom on Monday, a judicial pre-trial date of Dec. 7 was scheduled. No trial dates have been set yet and counsel speaking on behalf of Brian Greenspan, who is representing Keith and Marissa Hobbs, and George Joseph, representing Voss, said they will obtain possible trial dates to be brought forward at the pre-trial.
Keith and Marissa Hobbs were first charged with extortion and obstruction of justice following an investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police in July 2017. Voss was also charged with extortion.
According to the initial court indictment, the three are accused 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.
A preliminary hearing was held this summer and Justice David Gibson determined there was enough evidence to proceed to trial on all charges.
However, in September, Crown attorney, Peter Keen said the Crown would not be proceeding with the obstruction of justice charge against Keith and Marissa Hobbs and did not lay the indictment.
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.
Following the preliminary hearing in July, Brian Greenspan, who is representing Keith and Marissa Hobbs, said the hearing was a useful exercise for him and his clients, adding “I can say and I think it’s fair to assess the judge’s comments on the obstruction that the crown’s committal is by the skin of their teeth."
