Sault Ste. Marie MPP Chris Scott, who was ousted from Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative caucus a month ago, had a scheduled court hearing in his northeastern Ontario riding on Wednesday morning. However, Scott chose to remain at Queen’s Park instead of attending the hearing. He was arrested and faced charges of assault and assault with a weapon on September 19.
During the Wednesday morning court session, an articling student, representing lawyer Michael Lacy via Zoom, requested an adjournment of Scott’s case until after the counsel pre-trial on November 4. The matter is slated to be back in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom on November 12.
Now functioning as an Independent, Scott was absent from the Legislature’s first session since June on Monday but was present in Toronto on Tuesday, albeit away from Ford and the PC party.
Despite calls from various public figures, such as Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker, urging him to step down, Scott expressed eagerness to resume his duties. He remained resolute in his self-belief and capacity to fulfill his elected responsibilities. When questioned about the spousal assault allegations, Scott promptly denied them and expressed confidence in the justice system, eagerly anticipating his day in court.
Scott mentioned receiving support from several former PC caucus colleagues but noted no recent communication with Ford, acknowledging the latter’s busy schedule. While avoiding partisan activities like door-to-door canvassing or fundraising, Scott assured constituents that his office continues to operate and promised further statements once the legal matter is resolved.
