Legal issue halts testimony in Moncton murder trial for a week

Jurors in a Moncton murder trialwere sent home for a week, after a legal issue arose Thursday that will be considered in their absence.

The pause in testimony came on the 16th day of Riley Phillips's trial on a charge of second-degree murder. Phillipsis accused of killing 18-year-old Joedin Leger in Moncton on April 25, 2022.

After jurorswere brought into the courtroom on Thursday morning,Court of King's Bench Justice Robert Dysart told them a legal issue needed to be discussed without thempresent.

A standard publication ban prohibits reporting what happens while the jury isn't present.

Jurors returned to the courtroom Thursday afternoon.

"As we have from time to time, there are legal issues that arise during the trial where we have to have these conversations myself and counsel in your absence," Dysart said to the jury."Unfortunately we've had one of those situations that has arisen."

He told jurors they were trying to make sure the trial unfolds in a timely way, but they expected the issue would take "a number of days to resolve." He then instructed the jury to return to court on Thursday, Oct. 24.

Twenty-four witnesses havetestified in the trial, which jurors were originally told would last about four weeks.

On Wednesday, the prosecution'skey witness testified. Cross-examination was expected to continue Thursday.

That witness wasn't back in the witness box when the jury returned to court, but Dysart said his absence had nothing to do with the legal issue.

The Crown has alleged that Legerwas fatally shot during a home invasion involving Phillips and five otherswhosought to rob the teen and his girlfriend of cash, drugs and vape products.