Michelle Hanson trial moved to Guelph in 2021

Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Michelle Hanson, the mother charged in the death of her three-year old son Kaden Young, will have her criminal trial held in a Guelph courtroom. 

Appearing in an Orangeville courtroom recently, Superior Court Justice Gisele Miller decided that Hanson's trial will be heard in Guelph.

“The regional senior Justice is the one who makes the decision about where a matter will be heard when there will be a change of venue,” said Assistant Crown Attorney Danielle Garbaty. 

Marco Forte, the defense attorney for Hanson, requested that the trial be held outside of the of Dufferin County jurisdiction, which was agreed on by the Crown and Justice Miller back in February. 

Speaking previously with the Citizen, Forte spoke about looking into the impacts  and influence the mainstream media and social media could have on the trial. 

“I'm aware of a lot of the social media coverage and different Facebook groups and social media groups that have sprung up as a result of this case and the localized nature of some of those groups,” said Forte. 

Assistant Crown Attorney Garbaty confirmed that the trial, to be held in Guelph, will start on March 8, 2021. Hanson is being tried on charges of impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death. 

On the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 2018 the minivan that Hanson was driving was pulled into the Grand River following heavy flooding. Police say that Hanson drove around a ‘road closed' sign at the 10th Line of Amaranth. Hanson and Kaden, who was in the vehicle with his mother, both managed to escape the minivan police say but Kaden was pulled from Hanson's arms. Kaden's body was recovered under a bridge in Belwood Lake by two fisherman on April 21, two months to the day from the incident.