A verdict in the gross indecency and indecent assault trial of prominent Toronto pastor Brent Hawkes is expected today in Kentville, N.S. Hawkes, a high-profile rights activist who officiated at former NDP leader Jack Layton's state funeral in 2011, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The charges stem from events in the 1970s, when Hawkes was a teacher in his 20s in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. But taking the stand in his own defence last November in Kentville provincial court, Hawkes categorically denied the allegations. Originally from Bath, N.B., Hawkes has been a senior pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto for 38 years.

Source: CBC News January 31, 2017 11:48 UTC