Lac-Megantic jurors say they are at an impasse

SHERBROOKE, Que. Jurors at the Lac-Megantic trial told the judge Tuesday they’re at an impasse in deliberations.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Gaetan Dumas read a letter in which the jurors asked him what would happen if they couldn’t reach unanimity.

“We are at an impasse,” Dumas said, referring to the letter. “What happens if we can’t arrive at a unanimous decision?”

The jurors are deliberating the fate of Tom Harding, Richard Labrie and Jean Demaitre. The three were charged with criminal negligence causing the 2013 tragedy that killed 47 people when a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded.

After receiving the letter, Dumas told the lawyers in the case he could “exhort” the jurors to resume their deliberations and to consider the possibility of delivering verdicts on one, two or all three accused.

The discussion in the room before he suspended procedures was that he would send them back to deliberate.

Dumas was expected to address the jury later in the day.

Before the jurors began deliberating last Thursday, Dumas told them the verdict for each of the accused had to be unanimous.

All three men can be found guilty of criminal negligence causing the death of 47 people, while jurors have the option of convicting Harding on one of two other charges: dangerous operation of railway equipment or dangerous operation of railway equipment causing death.

Harding was the train’s engineer, Labrie the traffic controller and Demaitre the manager of train operations.

The three men each pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal negligence causing the death of 47 people.

None of them presented a defence at the trial, but lawyers for each told the jury in turn the Crown had failed to meet its burden of proof.