Assault case against Moose Jaw MLA adjourned to April 15

Assault charges against the MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow were in court for the first time Monday.

According to documents from Moose Jaw Provincial Court, Greg Lawrence’s case was adjourned to April 15 at 9:30 a.m. for a plea.

On Jan. 30, the Government Caucus Office said Lawrence had resigned from the Saskatchewan Party caucus because an “active police investigation” was underway relating to “historical complaints unrelated to his duties as an MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow.”

On Jan. 31, the Moose Jaw Police Service shared details of the allegations against Lawrence.

“On June 27, 2023, the Moose Jaw Police Service began an investigation into complaints of assault during interactions between two people,” the police service said in a statement at the time.

“On January 31, 2024, following this investigation, 58-year-old Gregory Lawrence of Moose Jaw was charged with Assault contrary to section 266 of the Criminal Code and Assault by Choking contrary to section 267(c) of the Criminal Code.”

In a statement released Jan. 31, Premier Scott Moe said he learned of the nature of the charges against Lawrence through the media.

“I am deeply concerned by this news,” Moe said in the statement. “Our government has enacted some of the strictest measures and implemented some of the strongest programs for violence prevention.

“Our work will not be deterred and we will continue to focus on violence prevention initiatives to protect our families, our communities and our province.”

Lawrence, who was first elected in 2011, has announced he won’t be running in the next provincial election. He was involved in a motorcycle crash in Moose Jaw in August.