The mayor of Saguenay, Julie Dufour, will be back in court in three months. The date of his trial has just been set for April 22.
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Ms. Dufour faces accusations of fraudulent electoral maneuvers, following an investigation by the Director General of Elections of Quebec (DGEQ).
Julie Dufour’s trial will be held over a period of four days, from April 22 to 25, at the Chicoutimi courthouse.
The legal proceedings were very brief this morning, barely 10 minutes. The disclosure of the evidence is complete. Eight witnesses will be heard by the prosecution. Seven will be in person and one of them, Serge Simard, who will be outside the country during the performances, will testify by videoconference.
The mayor was absent from court today, her presence was not required.
-Speed required
Julie Dufour requested that a trial be held as quickly as possible since she plans to run in the next municipal elections, in November 2025.
Judge Jean Hudon took this constraint into consideration. A replacement judge, Louis Duguay, will preside over the trial.
Three charges
Mayor Julie Dufour contests the three offenses for fraudulent electoral maneuvers raised by the General Directorate of Elections of Quebec.
The DGEQ accuses the mayor of having tried to influence the result of the 2021 municipal elections. It accuses her of having solicited three individuals, namely Serge Simard, Jacinthe Vaillancourt and Jean-Marc Crevier, so that they renounce their candidacy for town hall with the promise of a benefit, i.e. a job.
These acts are punishable by a fine of $5,000 to $20,000 per violation. If convicted, even one of these charges could result in the mayor’s ineligibility for a period of five years.
It is still too early to say at this time whether Ms. Dufour herself will be called to testify in her defense.
