The judge residing over the criminal trial of Ottawa's mayor will decide if he'll throw out the case when court resumes Friday afternoon.
Justice Douglas Cunningham, who is hearing the case without a jury, has spent the last two weeks pouring over arguments made by both the Crown and defence after the mayor's legal team asked for the charges to be dismissed.
The charges against Mayor Larry O'Brien stem from allegations he encouraged fellow mayoral candidate Terry Kilrea to drop out of the 2006 municipal race in exchange for a federal appointment to the National Parole Board.
Defence lawyers argued the Crown failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt in court. They also argued the charges against the mayor aren't even legal.
The mayor's legal team said influence peddling charges should only be applied if the accused gains financially, not politically.
If the judge does side with the defence, legal observers say the ruling could have a huge impact on the political landscape.
Check back this afternoon to find out what the judge decided . . .
