The jury at the trial of Jacob Hoggard resumed its deliberations Sunday morning for the sixth consecutive day in Toronto court. According to expert Ari Goldkind, there was something wrong with their discussions.
Jacob Hoggard, 37, was charged with inappropriate sexual touching of a minor and sexual assault causing harm to both a teenage girl and an adult in the Toronto area six years ago.
The jury has been deadlocked since Thursday because it failed to reach a unanimous verdict in one or three cases it has not identified.
He has already reached a unanimous partial verdict, the nature of which has not been disclosed, but the judge has asked him not to disclose it in court in the meantime. This judgment relates to one or more charges that were also not named by the jury.
Since Friday afternoon, jurors have heard the testimonies of the two alleged victims and the accused, in addition to hearing a 15-minute phone call between the singer and the second complainant about the events in November. 22, 2016.
That’s a lot, according to analyst Ari Goldkind, who himself is a crime defense attorney. It’s common to see a jury requesting to re -hear some excerpts from a trial, but not half of the hearings, so it’s surprisinghe said
Me Goldkind, who was not involved in this trial, testified that as time goes on, the chances of an appeal increase, especially if the defendant is found guilty.
Jurors may therefore be hopeless in a dispute or they may be working harder than expected from a jury.he continued.
The analyst thinks that the jury is in fact lost and trying to find a reason to convict the defendant rather than acquit him for lack of consensus..
He thinks about the situation disturbing from the point of view of the defense, because he does not want to compromise a jury or jury to join the majority and end these deliberations.
He added that the jury had shown a contradictory approach, as he was willing to resign twice since Thursday, but he finally persevered at the court’s request while asking at the same time to re-examine the three testimonies and an audio. recording.
The deadlock will be unbearable, he says, when the jurors will inform the judge that they no longer listen to each other, that they hate each other and that they are under tremendous peer pressure to compromise their opinions.
Ari Goldkind recalled that the jury had been deliberating since Tuesday afternoon and we had not yet been able to speak of lengthy deliberations at this stage, despite the jury’s unusual approach to this trial.
An unresolved stalemate would lead to a second trial against Jacob Hoggard on charges that were not upheld by the jury.
For now, the jury must end the hearing on Sunday morning the last recording he requested on Saturday morning.
This is the testimony of the first complainant, who were 15 and 16 years old at the time of the alleged acts in April 2016 (inappropriate intercourse) and in September 2016 (sexual assault causing harm).
He is expected to return to his deliberations in private in a courtroom reserved for that purpose.
The hearing on all of these recordings again created a cold Saturday between the defense and Ontario Superior court magistrate Gillian Roberts.
I Megan Savard objected, so the jury was forced to leave, because she noticed that the judge was shaking her head when replaying the phone call her client had recorded without the second plaintiff’s knowledge.
I hope this is unintentional, but I want to put it in court transcripts.he explained.
Well I’m just a human being and you know what I feel about itthe judge replied, obviously angry.
I have done my best so far to show you in a responsive light, but I hear your objection and I will do my best in the future to keep a straight face.he added.
Jurors do not have access to their cell phones or any electronic devices such as tablets or computers.
In the hotel, where they are isolated outside of their deliberation hours, they have no access to the Internet, or to a television, or a radio, or even to newspapers. Only one book is allowed to them.
They also can’t meet in each other’s room. A paralegal guarded the hallway on the floor of the hotel where they were staying.
They are court employees who must warn jurors of any family emergency, day or night.
Source: Radio-Canada
