Samuel and Madelaine Emerson’s plea date has been postponed for the fourth time.
While Crown counsel stated the couple is prepared to be arraigned, defence counsel asked for an additional three weeks to review the case.
The plea date was first pushed back to allow Samuel Emerson to retain new counsel, and then an additional two times to give his lawyer more time to review the case. The Emersons’ new court date is Feb. 22.
Samuel Emerson, 34, was formerly a pastor of Cloverdale Christian Fellowship Church. In early October, Surrey RCMP announced that he had been charged with 13 counts of sexual assault, 11 counts of being in a position of authority and touching a person for a sexual purpose, and one count of sexual touching of a person under the age of 16.
Madelaine Emerson, 37, was charged with one count of sexual assault, one count of being in a position of authority and touching a person for a sexual purpose, and one count of threats to cause death or bodily harm.
The alleged assaults happened between 2015 and 2017. Surrey RCMP received several allegations of sexual assault against Samuel Emerson and his wife Madelaine on May 17, 2017, and the South Surrey couple – who have five children – were arrested the next day.
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