A North Okanagan man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer on Oct. 29, 2020.
The trial for Curtis Wayne Sagmoen was scheduled to start on Tuesday, but lawyers continue to wrangle with various legal issues.
No evidence was heard.
Sagmoen is accused of attacking an RCMP officer just eight days after police warned sex workers to stay away from his place on Salmon River Road.
Two weeks prior to the assault, police said that officers spoke to sex trade workers who told them their services had been requested in the area.
Sagmoen has previously been found guilty of assaulting an escort and isn’t allowed contact with any sex trade workers as part of his probation conditions.
In 2017, police conducted an extensive three-week search of Sagmoen’s family farm.
The remains of 18-year-old Traci Genereaux were found on the property.
Nobody has ever been charged with her murder.
On Tuesday, defence lawyer Lisa Jean Helps spent the morning arguing that the trial should be adjourned.
She has challenged the search warrant and Sagmoen’s arrest.
Helps also said she’s still expecting to receive 500 pages of disclosure from the Crown.
The prosecution said it wanted to proceed with the trial and argued the evidence that will be heard is about as complex as a shoplifting case.
Several Mounties are expected to take the stand, including the officer who was allegedly assaulted.
Ultimately, the judge adjourned the case for the afternoon.
Lawyers are expected to be back in court Wednesday morning to address more issues.
In the meantime, Sagmoen is not in custody. He did not have any comment.
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