Accused in Chestermere city hall assault case pleads not guilty
CTV
The City of Chestermere staff member charged with assaulting another staff member pleaded not guilty Thursday.
The City of Chestermere staff member charged with assaulting another staff member pleaded not guilty Thursday.
Kim Wallace, the City of Chestermere's director of corporate services, issued a statement saying her lawyer Alain Hepner entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf at Strathmore Provincial Court.
"Presumed Innocent ... I am innocent of the charge brought against me and I look forward to being able to clear my good name in court, before a judge, who will hear all the facts of the case. I have plead(ed) not guilty and await for the court date to be announced," Wallace said in her statement.
The charges stems from a Jan. 26 incident at Chestermere city hall that resulted in an RCMP investigation.
In her statement, Wallace highlighted section 11(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights, which, she said, "guarantees the right of any person charged with an offence to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
"For those in our community, who have pre-judged me without knowing any of the facts, I remind them of what it means to be Canadian, to live in a country where we value our freedom and our rights," she said. "I have the right, just as we all do, to be presumed innocent. We all deserve the right to an unbiased opinion until the facts of a case are heard in a court of law.
"Spreading rumours and gossip only serves to harm, rather than build up our community. Chestermere is a beautiful place to live," she added. "We should not allow the toxicity created by lies and rumours to permeate our city.
