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Official date for Hanson trial still being set

April 2, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Michelle Hanson, an Amaranth mother facing charges in relation to the 2018 death of her three-year old son Kaden Young, made another brief court appearance last Friday (March 26), as logistics for her trial continue.

During the court appearance Hanson’s lawyer, Marco Forte indicated a resolution to the matter will be coming at the next appearance.

“Given our intention to resolve this matter, we’ve targeted April 6 at 11 a.m. to have the matter returned for what’s anticipated to be the first steps of the resolution process,” Forte told the courts.

Justice Giselle Miller confirmed the date to return with the Crown, and remanded Hanson to reconvene on April 6.

Hanson’s trial was originally scheduled to begin in a Guelph courtroom on March 8, but was put on hold as jury trials in Ontario are currently not being held due to COVID-19 restrictions. In September 2020, Hanson’s trial was relocated to Guelph from Orangeville following a request from her lawyer Forte, that the trial be held in a jurisdiction outside of Dufferin County.

Justice Miller at the last court appearance noted that jury trials would not be held in Ontario until at least June based on the latest notice to the perfection.

Hanson is currently facing charges of impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death stemming from an incident three years ago.

On the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 2018 Hanson’s minivan was pulled into the Grand River following heavy flooding, which saw the river water rise up onto the road. Hanson, police said, drove around a ‘road closed’ sign at the 10^th Line of Amaranth and the car was pulled into the river.

Both Hanson and her son Kaden, who was in the vehicle with his mother, managed to escape, but Kaden was pulled out of his mother’s arms. Kaden’s body was later recovered in Belwood Lake on April 21, two months to the day of the incident.

Hanson will make an appearance in court on April 6 at 11 a.m.

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