Justice Bruce Thomas in London, Ont., court on Sept. 5, 2024.
A judge is allowing five former NHL hockey players, who were charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a London, Ont., hotel room in 2018 when they were with Canada's world junior team, to skip pretrial legal arguments for "compelling economic reasons." The pretrial motions got underway on Thursday.Justice Bruce Thomas, shown Thursday during pretrial legal arguments in a London, Ont.
The charges are tied to an alleged group sexual assault of a woman in a player's hotel room following a Hockey Canada Foundation gala and golf event on June 19, 2018. The identities of the woman as well as two witnesses are also protected under a publication ban. McLeod and Dubé have signed contracts in the Kontinental Hockey League in Kazakhstan and Belarus, the judge said. "The travel required by the league and the time zone differences make it extremely difficult to participate in these pre-trial applications," Thomas wrote.
They waived their right to a preliminary hearing, which has sped up the court process. There have been several court hearings since the players were charged, with their lawyers appearing on their behalf. "I am content that the applicants understand the seriousness of the allegations they face and the right they are giving up," Thomas wrote. "I have exercised my discretion to allow each of the applicants to be absent from the upcoming pretrial applications with the exception of those where oral testimony will be heard.
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