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.
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.