Legislator was charged in June before losing his seat in October election...
A trial date has been set for a former MLA in northern B.C. charged with sexual assault.
Jordan Kealy, who represented Peace River North, will appear before a B.C. Supreme Court jury starting Nov. 15, 2027.
Kealy was charged in June before losing his seat in October's snap provincial election.
Crown prosecutors allege the offence took place between January and September of 2024, before Kealy was elected to the legislature that year.
"We tried to have it expedited," Kealy said. "I'm innocent. I have nothing to prove. I've been trying to make that happen even before the election happened, but unfortunately that wasn't the scenario."
Kealy was elected as a B.C. Conservative under former party leader John Rustad. He left the caucus in 2025 to sit as an Independent, saying the party had become "toxic."
The charge has not been proven in court.
Kealy rejected calls from then-premier David Eby to resign from the legislature following the charge, saying he had a right to defend himself.
The B.C. Prosecution Service appointed Vancouver-based lawyer Gail Barnes as special prosecutor for the case in February 2026.
The prosecution service said the appointment was made to "avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice considering the nature of the allegations and the identity of the accused as an elected public official."
Trial begins November 15, 2026
-News97.ca with files from CBC
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