A Kelowna judge announced Friday morning that she will not be stepping down after a defence lawyer asked her to excuse herself from sentencing a man for sexual interference of a minor.
The lawyer for Jeremy Carlson argued that Judge Monica McParland showed bias when she teared up during a victim impact statement, and that she scoffed when hearing the defense's suggested sentence.
The Crown, who is seeking a 20-month sentence for Carlson, says judges are supposed to show compassion and humanity, and that the scoff could not be heard on court recordings.
Jeremy Carlson was arrested back in September of 2016, and plead guilty to sexual interference late last year. During the initial sentencing hearing in April, Crown counsel said Carlson had repeatedly molested an eight year-old girl over the span of nine months.
It was during that same hearing that Carlson's lawyer asked for a 90-day sentence, which would be served on weekends.
Carlson's matter will be returning to court on Thursday, August 30th. A new date for sentencing has not yet been decided.