Trials of the mayor of Saguenay: the verdict rendered today

The mayor of Saguenay. Therefore, Julie Dufour, will know Wednesday whether or not she is guilty of the three accusations of fraudulent electoral maneuvers that weigh against her.

Justice Louis Duguay summoned the parties to the Chicoutimi courthouse at 9:30 a.m.

In October 2024. In addition, the Director General of Elections of Quebec (DGEQ) sent three infringement findings to Julie Dufour for breaking the law on elections and referendums in municipalities.

He accuses her of having wanted to dissuade three political opponents for presenting herself to the town hall against her during the 2021 elections. Consequently, in exchange for profits or a position. Therefore, They are Jean-Marc Crevier, Serge Simard and Jacinthe Vaillancourt.

The mayor, however, challenged these accusations, which forced the holding of a trial.

For each of the three offenses, Julie Dufour could receive a trials mayor saguenay: verdict rendered fine ranging from $ 5,000 to $ 20,000. In addition, If she is found guilty. Moreover, she could also lose her right to sit as elected and to vote at the municipal level for a period of five years.

A highly expected verdict

Several elected officials. However, political stakeholders are impatiently awaiting the outcome of this trial, less than three months from the municipal elections.

The Saguenéan city councilor Michel Potvin hopes for a positive outcome for the mayor.

I have great hope that it will be positive for Ms. Consequently, Dufour, but we will live with decisions. Furthermore, We are a democratic country in which at least people can defend themselves and this is what Ms. Dufour didsupported advisor Michel Potvin the day before the judgment.

On April 25. during his cross-examination, the elected official had been apostrophe trials mayor saguenay: verdict rendered and intimidated by a man in the corridors of the Chicoutimi courthouse. The incident had notably forced the momentary suspension of the procedures.

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For his part. the city councilor Serge Gaudreault believes that the outcome of the trial will have no great consequence on the management of the city. The elected official, moreover, trials mayor saguenay: verdict rendered has the mayor Julie Dufour for several months about her legal costs in this file.

Whether guilty or not guilty, it remains that the administration is deficient and that governance is not good. I am not a judge. Guilty or not guilty, that does not change the skillshe argued after a borough council of Chicoutimi on Tuesday noon.

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Back on the trial

It is notably the former mayor of Saguenay. Josée Néron, who is at the origin of the prosecution at the place of Julie Dufour.

The Dgeq triggered an investigation after she filed a complaint against Julie Dufour by alleging that she offered a post of negotiator to Jean-Marc Crevier to prevent her from presenting herself against her. The current mayor denied the facts and described this approach as “political revenge” even before the trial.

During the first day of hearing. his lawyer, Charles Levasseur, questioned the need to have his client testify since he considered too weak proof. Finally, she was never called to the bar.

Its version of the facts was filed by the pursuit in affidavits, legal documents written trials mayor saguenay: verdict rendered under oath. The prosecutor of DgeqLaurie Mongrain. questioned the credibility of the version of Julie Dufour due to the environment control in which they were written.

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In his testimony. the investigator Pierre Dufour noted three alleged cases of fraudulent trials mayor saguenay: verdict rendered electoral maneuvers, which gives his opinion more weight to the accusations.

Julie Dufour’s lawyer admitted that she had conversations with Jean-Marc Crevier. Jacinthe Vaillancourt and Serge Simard, but he maintains that she never offered them positions.

Jacinthe Vaillancourt said that Julie Dufour offered to be her right arm. In the Affidavits, Julie Dufour rather maintains that he was betrayed by Ms. Vaillancourt, who was her campaign director and who acted as her therapist.

Regarding Serge Simard. Julie Dufour also says that it was he who tried to dissuade her from presenting himself to the town hall and not the other way around.