Michael Applebaum again tries to get charges thrown out

Former Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum was back in court on Monday, trying for a second time to have 14 charges against him thrown out.

Applebaum is facing charges including fraud, conspiracy and breach of trust tied to real estate deals that happened while he was borough mayor of Cte-des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grce.

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Applebaum's lawyer, Pierre Teasdale, argued in Quebec Court that the charges should be stayed because the prosecution has failed to disclose key evidence.

In particular, Teasdale focused on dozens of telephone conversations between one of the police investigators in the case and a key witness.

Teasdale argued it appears no notes were taken during those conversations, which he said was problematic.

The Crown countered that the conversations were essentially courtesy calls with little relevance to the case.

Earlier this year, Applebaum tried and failed to have the charges against him stayed, arguing that there was an unreasonable delay in bringing the case to trial.

That argument was rejected by the judge.

The trial is set to begin in November.

Applebaum resigned as interim mayor of Montreal after he was arrested in June 2013.