LONDON, Ont. – A judge discharged the jury in the sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team on Friday. A new jury will not be ordered, and the proceedings will continue as a judge-alone trial, meaning Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia will hear the evidence and be responsible for coming to a verdict without a jury.
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The 14 jurors — nine women and five men — were sent home Friday following the ruling by Carroccia, who has presided over the trial that began April 25. The reasons for the discharge are currently protected under a publication ban.
“I have determined in this case that it is appropriate to discharge the jury,” Carroccia told the jury. “I know that you have invested four weeks in this trial and certainly, you have the thanks of myself, court staff, counsel for the time and effort that you put into this matter, but the jury will be discharged.
“So I thank you, and you are free to go.”
Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote are all charged with sexual assault after an alleged incident in June 2018. The complainant — a woman known as E.M.; her identity is also protected by a publication ban — has said she was sexually assaulted over the span of several hours in a London, Ont., hotel room. The players were in town for a Hockey Canada event celebrating their gold medal at the 2018 World Junior Championship.
All five players have pleaded not guilty.
No evidence was called Friday morning before the decision. On Thursday, after the court heard testimony from Tyler Steenbergen, a member of the 2018 world junior team and the Crown’s latest witness, Carroccia adjourned court early, telling jurors: “There are some things I have to discuss with the lawyers this afternoon.”
— The Athletic′s Hailey Salvian and Dan Robson reported remotely from Toronto.
(Photo: Andy Devlin / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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