A former Laurentian University professor and well known botanist waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday opting to have his trial on two charges of indecent assault heard by a judge in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
Keith Winterhalder, 67, and his lawyer, Ted Conroy, made a brief appearance before Justice William Fitzgerald of the Ontario Court of Justice.
A date for Winterhalder?s trial is expected to be set in two weeks? time. His trial will likely be held this summer.
Winterhalder, a biology professor and leader of Sudbury?s regreening efforts over the past 25 years, was given a six-month jail sentence and two years of house arrest in the fall of 1999.
Winterhalder was charged with gross indecency and indecent assault against two young boys dating back about 25 years .
The latest allegations made against Winterhalder date back several years. Police allege they involved two different young males.
A plea of no contest was registered before the courts in 1999, but in return Winterhalder agreed to allow the Crown to read in an agreed statement of facts that were not contested or contradicted.
Following his conviction and sentence, Winterhalder was terminated by Laurentian University management.
He was a tenured professor with more than 30 years of teaching experience at the time he was fired.
