Hoggard is in a courtroom in downtown Toronto on Monday, where a judge says some procedural issues will be settled before jury selection begins. The frontman of the Canadian rock band Hedley pleaded not guilty to sexual assault that caused bodily harm and sexual intercourse during a two-day preliminary hearing in the summer of 2019. He chose to be tried by a jury and not just a judge and was originally scheduled to stand trial in January 2021 However, public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 prompted courts to put new trials on jurors on hold for months at a time during the pandemic, and the trial was postponed in many cases. It is now scheduled to last until early June.
The alleged incidents took place in 2016
Hoggard was arrested and charged in 2018 with alleged incidents involving a woman and a teenager that police said took place in the Toronto area in 2016. The complainants could not be identified due to a publication ban. Police are investigating the case after allegations surfaced that Hoggard had inappropriate meetings with young fans. The singer made a statement long before his arrest in which he denied any non-consensual sexual behavior. But he acknowledged that he had behaved in a way that “objectified women” and was “reckless and reluctant about their feelings”. Hedley retired from the management team and several radio stations after the complaints surfaced, and the band has been on an indefinite break since 2018.
