Six months after being charged, no plea from business
Judge asks defence why the hold up in moving case forward
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Almost six months after being charged with the illegal sale of vape products, a New Brunswick business still hasn’t entered a plea.
RMKH Holdings Limited was charged in November with selling or offering for sale flavoured products intended to be used in electronic cigarettes on June 14 in Aulac. The offence is a violation of the province’s Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Sales Act.
Several court appearances have come and gone, including one on Wednesday, but defence lawyer Wanda Severns said her client isn’t ready to plead yet.
“You’ve been appearing on the file since January. How come it isn’t further along in the process?” asked Judge Brigitte Volpé.
Severns said it took a while to get disclosure from the Crown and she’s been talking to the prosecutor about resolving the case and also seeking instructions from her client. The court adjourned plea to May 29 as a result.
Many other businesses charged with the same offence are delaying plea to take part in a constitutional challenge of the law in Fredericton, but another, Albion Vapor Shop, pleaded guilty on April 11 in Moncton court and was fined the minimum amount of $288.
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