Jacob Hoggard not guilty of Northern Ontario sexual assault

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Democracy and our justice system has rules and guidelines. You may not like the outcome, but it is the majority speaking. You have to hope you are in that faction, rather than the minority because the majority rules.

In the case of a trial, it’s innocent, until proven guilty beyond any doubt. Somehow, this verdict seems uncomfortable. Not surprising, particularly if you believe in the power of the ‘old boys club.’ 

Another bothersome aspect to this verdict is that it feels like women were downtrodden again. The women were violated…etc., etc.

But this is where democracy is fair or just, regardless. Is there a possibility there was consensual sexual? Then, no conviction should be made. Is it possible the victim consented to the sex somewhere along the way? Again, there should be no conviction and there wasn’t. Could the victim changed her mind along the way? Well, here is decision time for the jury. Not you, not me, but the jury panel who heard the evidence. If they had any reasonable doubt anywhere along in the case, then not guilty must stand. Innocent until proven guilty. At times, not a comfortable outcome, decision but done in the right way by a panel of regular people, reasoning people, listening to the evidence and then determining the verdict as they saw as reasonable.