Fredericton cop’s counsel looking to resolve harassment charge
Sgt. Jason Forward, 53, has been placed on administrative duty after being accused of stalking his spouse around the city for months
A lawyer representing a Fredericton Police Force officer accused of stalking his ex-spouse told a court Thursday he’s in talks with the prosecution to resolve the matter without trial.
Sgt. Jason Michael Forward, 53, of Fredericton, faces a single count of criminal harassment, alleging he repeatedly followed Sarah Forward around Fredericton from March 10 and Sept. 28, 2022, causing his ex to be fearful.
Investigations of alleged offences in Fredericton are typically conducted by the Fredericton Police Force, but since Forward has been a member for more than two decades, the Miramichi Police Force investigated the allegations and laid the charge.
The case was in court for the first time Thursday, and Forward wasn’t present for the proceedings.
The officer’s defence counsel, Fredericton lawyer T.J. Burke, appeared on his behalf on the summary count.
“I just received disclosure,” Burke said, asking for the case to be adjourned without plea.
However, he noted he’s been in discussion with Crown prosecutor Joanne Park to see if the parties can resolve the matter without going to trial, and Park confirmed that was the case.
The defence lawyer noted he’s going to be unavailable in the coming weeks and asked for the case to be set over to early May so he can review the disclosure and continue discussions with the prosecutor.
Judge Natalie LeBlanc adjourned the matter to May 2.
Fredericton Police Force spokesperson Megan Barker said earlier this month that Forward has been restricted to administrative duty since the allegations came to light, though he’s not on suspension.
She also noted the force launched a Police Act complaint against Forward stemming from the allegations, but that the New Brunswick Police Commission has put it on hold pending the outcome of the criminal case.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
Well interesting. Thanks Don. I expect things might get even more interesting in Fredericton very soon. We need more court transparency and court reporting is a crucial part of this.