Frank Stronach pleads not guilty to 12 charges, sexual assault trial set for February
Billionaire, 92, faces 2 separate trials in 2026
Billionaire businessman Frank Stronach is now set to stand trial in his Toronto sexual assault case early next year before a judge alone.
Stronach's defence lawyer says he switched from a jury trial to one with a judge alone with the Crown's consent in a hearing this morning, with the trial scheduled to begin in February.
Defence lawyer Leora Shemesh also confirms that her client pleaded not guilty today to the 12 charges he faces in Toronto.
"I think it allows us to be more expeditious and more efficient, without a jury," Shemesh told CBC News in a brief phone interview after Thursday's hearing in Ontario Superior Court.
In Toronto, Stronach is accused of a series of sexual offences involving multiple complainants, with allegations going as far back as 1977.
"He's anxious, he's happy to know that these charges are going to be heard sooner rather than later, and he has full faith in the judicial system," Shemesh said.
Stronach is also expected to face a separate trial in Newmarket, Ont., later in 2026 after the case was split into two proceedings last year.
Shemesh said her client will plead not guilty to those charges as well.
The 92-year-old tycoon, who became one of Canada's wealthiest people as the founder of auto parts giant Magna and the Stronach Group, is one of the biggest industry names in horse racing, owning and operating thoroughbred tracks including the famed Santa Anita Park in California.
He was charged last year with 18 counts involving 13 complainants across Ontario.
The charges include sexual assault and indecent assault, and some of them date back decades.
Stronach told CBC's The Fifth Estate last year the allegations against him are "lies."
With files from CBC's Thomas Daigle