Hockey Canada sex assault case to get jury trial

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Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod will have a trial by jury for allegedly sexually assaulting and attacking a woman in 2018.

The five members of Canada's 2018 world junior team who are accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a London hotel months after winning gold have opted for a jury trial, their lawyers say in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon.

Author of the article:

Patrick Maloney, Jane Sims

Published Feb 28, 2024  • Last Updated 13 hours ago  •  3 minute read

Clockwise from top left: Michael McLeod of the New Jersey Devils; Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers; Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames; Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils; Alex Formenton, formerly of the Ottawa Senators.

The five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team who are accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a London hotel months after winning gold have opted for a jury trial, their lawyers say in a statement issued Wednesday.

“Earlier this week, all five players selected a trial by jury and they are confident that jurors drawn from the community will decide this case fairly and impartially after hearing all the evidence and testimony,” reads the statement, a copy of which was sent to The London Free Press.

By electing to go with a jury, they have waived having a preliminary hearing – court proceedings often held in serious cases to determine if there is enough evidence to go to trial in a higher court – and sent the case right to trial.

Those hearings often taken months to schedule. Instead, the case is heading directly to the higher court. An appearance in the monthly scheduling court, next week, means they are looking for a speedy trial date, much sooner than expected.