Sexual assault trial for ex-world junior hockey players held up as judge, lawyers discuss procedure
- We’re back in Superior Court in London, Ont., this morning for the trial of Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod.
- All five men have pleaded not guilty.
- Court resumed earlier, but Justice Maria Carroccia has been dealing with a procedural matter that we can’t report on.
- Yesterday, she sent the jury home early after something happened during the lunch break. Carroccia said she needed time to converse with the lawyers about the matter, and that process is continuing today.
- WARNING: Court proceedings include details of alleged sexual assault and might affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who’s been impacted by it.
- Kate Dubinski
After a morning of procedural discussions that we can’t report on, court is now on a break until 2:30 p.m. ET.
One thing to know about court — there’s a morning and afternoon recess, each lasting 15 minutes, and a longer lunch, usually an hour and a half. It’s a rare treat for reporters who usually eat at their desks.
Generally, the reporters spend the breaks madly typing up stories, filing for television and radio newscasts, and fielding questions from editors.
- Kate Dubinski
Each of the accused has their own legal representation. (Alexandra Newbould/CBC) Legal arguments are taking longer than expected this morning.
This is not unusual. In Canadian law, anything heard during a trial outside the presence of the jury cannot be reported — it's part of the Criminal Code, which states "no information regarding any portion of the trial at which the jury is not present shall be published in any document or broadcast or transmitted in any way before the jury retires to consider its verdict."
Family members are here again today, as are the media from Canada and other countries. Once again, the accused are all wearing dark suits except for Carter Hart, who is wearing an olive green suit. Each man is sitting at his own table with his legal team.
They each have the same tables each day, so it’s not a scramble to fight for the best table. Reporters, on the other hand, do jostle (cordially) for a place to sit, although at this point we’re all kind of taking the same spots every day.
- Katie Nicholson
I’m Katie Nicholson, senior reporter for CBC News, and I’m here at the courthouse this morning.
It’s going to be a hot day here in London for the camera crews poised outside the exits and entrances.
The accused players and their lawyers have all arrived for more proceedings this morning. Court still has to clear up a matter from yesterday between the judge and the lawyers before the jury is expected to return around noon. We are prohibited from reporting what transpired.
It’s often close quarters here. We all go through the same entrance and security process, and we are often standing next to one another on the main floor waiting to get into the courtroom and for elevators, sometimes literally bumping into one another.
Before yesterday’s matter arose on the lunch break, we were just kicking off with witness No. 1, a London Police Service detective, after the Crown’s opening statement laying out their case. That’s all on pause until this matter from yesterday is resolved.
- Lucas Powers
Good morning. I’m a producer based in Toronto and I’ll be curating our live page today.
Our reporters are back at the Superior Court in London, Ont., for the sexual assault trial of five former world junior hockey players.
Updates from court may be a bit slower for the next little while as the judge deals with a procedural matter that we are not allowed to report on.
But we’ll bring you all the latest developments as soon as we’re able.
Stay tuned.
cbc.ca
