Chief Morley Googoo sent to restorative justice on assault charge
Nic Meloney | CBC News | Posted: August 8, 2017 7:25 PM | Last Updated: August 8, 2017
Googoo appeared in court in Sydney on charges related to alleged fight in June
Morley Googoo, a regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations, appeared in provincial court Tuesday in Sydney, N.S., and has been referred to the province's restorative justice program.
Googoo was charged with assault and causing a disturbance after an alleged fight in June at the Hampton Inn in Membertou, near Sydney.
On Tuesday, Judge Ann Marie MacInnes accepted the Crown's recommendation that Googoo be referred to restorative justice.
Googoo was re-elected to the Assembly of First Nations earlier this year, and is the lead organizer of Grand-Pré 2017, a four-day Canada 150 celebration beginning this week in Grand Pré in the Annapolis Valley.
Restorative justice often involves offender and victim meeting face-to-face, and can include family members and people from the community.
If Googoo successfully completes the program, the charges against him will likely be dropped. The court is scheduled to hear an update on his progress on Oct. 30.