Mistrial Declared in Sexual Assault Case Involving Five Former World Junior Hockey Players in London, Ont.

Current jury dismissed, new jury will be chosen as 5 men face charges dating back to June 2018

A mistrial has been declared in the high-profile sexual assault case involving five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team.

Justice Maria Carroccia made the announcement Thursday morning, telling jurors, “I’m sorry to have to tell you I’ve declared a mistrial in this case. As a result of that, this jury is going to be discharged—you are free to go.”

Court briefly recessed just before 10:30 a.m., with a new jury expected to be selected later in the day. A new trial is scheduled to begin immediately afterward.

A mistrial occurs when a trial cannot proceed to a valid verdict due to a significant procedural error or issue that compromises the fairness of the proceedings.

Justice Carroccia allowed media to report on the mistrial itself but imposed a publication ban on further details of the decision. That restriction is being challenged by a coalition of media organizations.

The case against Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote stems from an alleged incident that occurred in a London, Ontario hotel room in June 2018. All five have pleaded not guilty.

The trial began earlier this week but was abruptly interrupted on Wednesday when jurors were dismissed following an issue that required discussion with legal counsel.

The proceedings are expected to last approximately eight weeks.