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Trial of Michelle Hanson delayed

March 11, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The trial of Michelle Hanson, an Amaranth mother who is facing charges in relation to the 2018 death of her three-year old son Kaden Young, has been delayed.

Hanson’s trial was scheduled to begin on Monday (March 8) in Guelph, but was put on hold as jury trials in Ontario are currently not being held due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Jury trails in Ontario have been put on hold until May at the earliest.

Hanson appeared in Orangeville court via Zoom on Monday, along with counsel from the crown and defence to discuss the logistics of the trial. Court will reconvene on March 19.

Hanson’s trial was relocated to Guelph from Orangeville in September 2020 following a request from defence attorney Marco Forte, that the trial be held outside of the Dufferin County jurisdiction.

Forte, previously spoke with the Citizen about being aware of media and social media coverage of the case and the possible influence on the trial.

Hanson’s minivan was pulled into the Grand River on the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 2018 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 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 under a bridge in Belwood Lake on April 21, two month to the day from the incident.

Hanson is being tried on charges of impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death.

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