Former Hedley singer Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial to get underway at northern Ontario courthouse
The sexual assault trial for Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard, the former frontman for the band Hedley, is expected to begin in northern Ontario this week, following a jury selection process.
Pre-trial proceedings began with Superior Court Justice Robin Tremblay at the Haileybury courthouse around 9 a.m. Monday.
Haileybury courthouse. (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
Jury selection began shortly after 11 a.m. Monday with the trial expected to start Tuesday morning. The process ended just before 5 p.m. Monday, with 14 people chosen to sit on the jury, including two alternates.
Hoggard was charged in 2022 with sexual assault in relation to an incident that allegedly occurred in Kirkland Lake on June 25, 2016.
He performed with his band Hedley at the Kirkland Lake Homecoming festival the day before the alleged incident.
Hedley lead singer Jacob Hoggard performs during the band's final concert of their current tour in Kelowna, B.C. on March 23, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff Bassett)
The trial is expected to last seven days, but two weeks have been set aside.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
Hoggard is being defended by attorneys Megan Savard and Kally Ho.
The accused is sitting at a table next to his legal team wearing a black suit, white dress shirt and black tie.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge against him at 11:10 a.m.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Crown Attorney Peter Keen and Crown Attorney Lilly Gates.
Hoggard was the lead singer of the rock band Hedley until 2018 when the band announced it went into an indefinite hiatus.
Jacob Hoggard of the band Hedley performs during WE Day Toronto celebrations on Sept. 28, 2017 (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)
CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca is monitoring the court case remotely and will provide updates throughout the trial.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live U.S. election results: Canadian perspectives and analysis
CTVNews.ca is featuring live U.S. election results on an interactive map and a live blog that will be updated throughout the evening starting at 5 p.m. ET by CTV News journalists and Washington political analyst Eric Ham.
A sharply divided America decides between Trump and Harris
A divided America weighed a stark choice for the nation's future Tuesday as a presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancor approached its finale.
Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. says the country is prepared for a Harris or Trump administration
Canada's ambassador to the United States said Monday she doesn’t feel anxious about the American election, or its results.
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
Abortion is on the ballot in nine states and motivating voters across the U.S.
Voters in nine states are deciding whether their state constitutions should guarantee a right to abortion, weighing ballot measures that are expected to spur turnout for a range of crucial races.
How exit polls work and what they will tell us on election night
Exit polls are a set of surveys that ask voters whom they voted for, as well as additional questions about their political opinions, the factors they considered in the election and their own backgrounds more broadly.
Trump snaps at reporter when asked about abortion: 'Stop talking about that'
Donald Trump is refusing to say how he voted on Florida's abortion measure -- and getting testy about it.
Suspect seen shooting man during Toronto-area home invasion in new video
Police have released video footage that appears to show a suspect shooting a man who had attempted to intervene in a home invasion in York Region on Monday night.
Canada 'deeply concerned' after alleged Russian sabotage plot
The Canadian government says it has raised concerns directly with Russian officials after media reports this week revealed an alleged Russian sabotage operation. The alleged plot included plans to send parcels packed with incendiary devices aboard aircraft destined for Canada and the United States.