Pandemic forces postponement of attempted murder trials for 15 men

The trials of 15 men charged with attempted murder in the beating of another man have been postponed indefinitely because of the pandemic.

All 16 men were inmates at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Centre in Dartmouth, N.S., in December2019 when the beating occurred.The victim was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries but has recovered.

Because of the logistics involved in bringing 15 men to trial, the case was separated into two hearings. The first of those was to begin Monday at a specially constructed courtroom in the Nova Centre in downtown Halifax.

But with COVID-19 case numbers remaining high, including two cases in the jail that was the scene of the crime, Justice Jamie Campbell of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court said Friday that it would be irresponsible to try to proceed as scheduled.

The case will return to court later this month when Campbell said he hopes there will be a clearer picture of when and how the matters can proceed.

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