Judge says Montreal billionaire Robert Miller too sick for trial on sex charges

The criminal case against Montreal billionaire Robert Miller came to a halt on Tuesday as a Quebec Superior Court judge stayed sex-related charges against him.

Justice Lyne Décarie announced her decision a day after the Crown agreed with a motion by the defence that Miller, who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, is too ill to stand trial on 24 sex-related charges involving 11 women. Many of the complainants were minors when the alleged offences occurred.

In an oral decision, Décarie said the 81-year-old’s right to a fair trial would be jeopardized if the legal proceedings continued.

“The medical evidence shows that the applicant’s poor physical health would render him unable to participate meaningfully … and that the trial process would cause significant harm to his health,” Décarie said.

“The court sees no other options but to follow the suggestion of both parties and will grant the application.”

The founder of global electronics distributor Future Electronics was arrested in May 2024 on 21 sex charges involving 10 complainants between 1994 and 2016. In December, three new charges were filed by the Crown for crimes alleged to have taken place between 1995 and 2000.

Miller has denied the allegations, and had elected trial by judge and jury. A trial would have lasted up to three months, according to the prosecution. In April, Miller’s lawyers sought a stay of proceedings, arguing their client was not well enough to stand trial.

Décarie took into consideration evidence presented by both parties, including 13 medical reports and a Crown-appointed expert who confirmed a trial would be impossible given the advance state of Miller’s illness.

The judge outlined a number of uncontradicted facts: “The accused is a frail 81-year-old suffering from the most advanced stage of Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative illness, there is no hope for a cure.”

Miller has been bedridden since 2022 and requires nursing care for all his needs, with medication administered every 90 minutes.

Décarie stressed that a stay is not an acquittal but a permanent end to the court process.

Apart from his apparent health problems, he also is limited in his ability to aid in his own defence. “His communication skills are very limited, two to four words at a time,” Décarie said. “He cannot make complete sentences, his speech is fragmented, he is unable to write.”

Miller appeared virtually at the hearing on Tuesday but was not visible on the screen.

On Monday, the prosecution recognized that Miller’s constitutional rights under Sections 7 and 11 of the Charter would be infringed if a trial would take place. Postponement wasn’t an option as his condition will only worsen.

Dominique Potvin, chief prosecutor for the Montreal region, spoke to reporters on Tuesday at the courthouse on behalf of the province’s prosecution service. He said the civil cases against Miller would continue, as would the other criminal case making its way through the court system.

In June 2024, Montreal police announced they had arrested a 67-year-old woman described as an alleged accomplice of Miller. Teresita Fuentes was arrested on a warrant for procuring sexual services in connection to one of Miller’s alleged victims.

Potvin paid tribute to the courage of the alleged victims who came forward and called the situation “exceptional,” encouraging victims of sexual violence not be deterred by the result of the case.

“They can hold their heads high, they were believed, and their determination was certainly not in vain,” Potvin said. “Had a trial been possible, we remain convinced that the testimony and evidence gathered during the investigation would have definitely supported a reasonable prospect of conviction.”

Miller was initially investigated by Montreal police in 2008 and 2009 but the allegations were deemed unfounded by the Crown.

Delphine Mauger, the attorney who prosecuted the criminal case against Miller, said the decision to lay charges “should not be taken lightly.”

“And if a Crown prosecutor is not satisfied that she or he could meet his burden in court, then we cannot charge. So my impression is that from a Crown perspective we have done our job.”

The case was reopened in the aftermath of a Radio-Canada and CBC investigation in February 2023 that alleged Miller gave cash and gifts to minors in exchange for sex between 1994 and 2006. He has denied those allegations.

Miller is facing a number of civil lawsuits in Quebec and has been fighting those through his lawyers, including a class action that was greenlit by the Quebec Superior Court earlier this year.

Miller stepped down as chairman and CEO of Future Electronics in February 2023 and later sold the company.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.

By Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press