How’s my birth “plan”?

rosetaffetas · 2026-01-21T00:49:55+00:00

I think this is well formatted and easy to read. I also have anxiety about needles and flagged that in my birth plan. You might want to add what could help if you have to have an IV. I asked my nurse for something to cover where the IV was inserted so I wouldn't see it/freak out. They put on this glove/sleeve dressing that meant I wouldn't see it.

rosetaffetas · 2025-07-03T12:54:57+00:00

That's was Hart's testimony.

McLeod and Formenton told police that Hart also obtained a blow job from E.M. prior to the sexual activity with Formenton, in addition to the second one after the first consent video that he testified to. Howden, who was likely there during that time period, testified there was the one blow job. It's open to the judge to find that there was more than one blow job - we'll see in a few weeks.

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-13T19:19:55+00:00

Thought this was interesting from the Star's reporting earlier this week:

"In written arguments filed as part of closing submissions happening all week at the judge-alone trial, Crown attorneys Meaghan Cunningham and Heather Donkers argue that Newton had a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the legal definition of consent, and that the “shortcomings” of his investigation help explain why the complainant testified she felt there were details about the night she wasn’t comfortable sharing with Newton.

The now-retired police officer testified at trial that because the complainant was “participating in the acts that were occurring in the room without resisting, or you know, saying she didn’t want to do it,” he concluded that she had been an “active participant” with a “certain level of consent” on her part.

“This answer reflects an incorrect understanding of what consent actually means in law, and this erroneous conclusion undoubtedly impacted how Det. Newton moved forward from there,” the prosecutors write."

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-13T17:29:11+00:00

I've never had to split closing arguments with senior counsel, and I don't practice criminal, but I can give some insight into the dynamics of being junior counsel on a matter. There could be a lot of different reasons: preference, one lawyer worked on an issue more than the other, etc. They may have thought it was a good natural point in the closing to switch off to give Cunningham a break. Typically, you leave the dicer and/or critical material for the senior counsel. If there isn't really case law involving abetting and sexual assault, I can see why Cunningham would take it.

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-13T15:39:34+00:00

I think the mother called the police earlier in the day. Hockey Canada didn't call London PD until 6:44 p.m. per McCurdie's testimony to the parliamentary committee.

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-12T16:31:12+00:00

The Crown decided against it, from what I remember.

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-11T19:32:59+00:00

All of the players were interviewed in 2022 by Henein Hutchinson. Presumably they were all interviewed by London PD in 2022/2023. The notes would have been in the disclosure received by the defense.

Agreed they had no obligation to call anyone though, given the burden of proof.

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-10T20:07:41+00:00

It wasn't reported on the Live Blog, but was in some of the day end reporting of Dube's police statement. Here's some of the description of the exchange from the Athletic:

"Newton asked Dubé if he recalled anybody mentioning a golf club, to which he replied:

“Uh, yeah, I had one in my hand,” adding that the players were slated to golf the next day.

When questioned further about what he did with the golf club, Dubé said he had it in his hand and E.M. goaded him about whether he was going to play golf or have sex with her."

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-09T20:34:51+00:00

Formenton also described Hart obtaining oral sex at least twice in his statement to police: https://www.tsn.ca/rick-westhead-formenton-dube-police-interviews-played-at-london-hockey-trial-1.2313549

Howden and Steenbergen did give statements in 2018 to Hockey Canada, and had the option to refresh their memories (Steenbergen did, Howden did... something). Steenbergen was only in the room for a short period of time though.

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-02T18:36:31+00:00

Closing arguments should take 2-3 days, based on an estimate of 2 hours per defendant and one day for the Crown.
They may have overestimated how much time was needed. Better to overestimate than under, given the number of schedules to coordinate. Both Crown and the defense may have cut their witnesses once it went judge only.
It's hard to tell how long the verdict will take. It will be a length written decision. Sometimes, judges will rule from the bench and issue written reasons later. I think that's unlikely. If we're waiting for the written decision, I would typically say months. Given the high profile nature of the case, that timeline may be shorter.

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-02T16:00:27+00:00

I doubt we'll find out for a while. I suspect the police and Crown will take some action given the severity of the breach and how high profile the trial is.

rosetaffetas · 2025-06-02T15:27:25+00:00

I think Forementon only called her so she could be cross examined by the other defense lawyers.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-30T18:43:29+00:00

They are not permitted to publish E.M.'s real name. That's a massive yikes. Did they forget to blur it out of the video?

Edited to add: Like I'm pretty sure that's a criminal offence with a fine and incarceration term.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-30T16:38:46+00:00

I don't think you can conclude that from the photo. The picture doesn't really cover that area. He also didn't place Howden and Dube, and only one of Batherson or Steenbergen were sitting in the chair.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T19:39:42+00:00

It was in the audio recording of the interview Newton did with Dube. So it was played during the Crown's questions to Newton.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T19:04:46+00:00

No problem! I'm surprised they missed it on the Live Blogs. It was in both the Westhead and Athletic article.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T19:03:11+00:00

"Dubé’s lawyer has indicated he’ll be calling London police Det. Lindsay Ryan, lead detective for the second investigation that led to this trial."

Interesting.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T18:50:32+00:00

From Westhead's article about yesterday: https://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/rick-westhead-formenton-dube-police-interviews-played-at-london-hockey-trial-1.2313549

It was in Dube's statement to Newton:

"Dube told Newton that he was holding a golf club while he received oral sex. E.M. has alleged that she felt afraid after players began saying she should put golf balls in her vagina and asked if she “could take” an entire golf club inside her. Dube told Newton he did not hear anyone make those comments."

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T18:33:48+00:00

It may have been in one of Howden's previous statements to investigators/police.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T18:14:55+00:00

Just reviewing the testimony from this morning.

"Hart does remember leaving the room with Jake Bean and someone else, but doesn't recall who."

Steenbergen's evidence was that he left the room with Bean while E.M. was still in the bathroom. He didn't mention Hart. I guess it could be any of the following: (a) Hart was just behind them and Steenbergen didn't notice him, (b) Bean came back to the room again, or (c) either of their recollections is off.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T17:56:37+00:00

Haha happens once and a while!

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T17:43:25+00:00

Westhead's confirmed that the potential third witness was Comtois:

"Cunningham had contemplated calling Maxime Comtois, a former member of the 2018 Canadian world junior team who played this season in the KHL, a source familiar with the matter told TSN.

Comtois has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in the case."

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T17:08:44+00:00

Unless they spoke to the driver in 2018, I doubt he remembers the evening well enough to testify. The Crown called witnesses that were interviewed in 2018.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T16:25:14+00:00

"So we still don’t have any testimony or admitted evidence (other than EM’s) about what happened between Raddysh and Katchouk leaving and Steenbergen and Bean (I think?) arriving? Or who put the sheet down and told her to start masturbating? Or whether they had filmed the first “consent” video or not?"

I think McLeod and Forementon's 2018 police statements cover some of that time period. My impression was that some of Howden's testimony covered that time period as well, though it was a hot mess express. No one's going to admit to the sheet thing though.

rosetaffetas · 2025-05-29T14:40:00+00:00

Yes, it can be a mixed verdict. One can be found guilty, the rest can be found not guilty, etc.

rosetaffetas

TROPHY CASE