Trial begins for father accused of abducting his daughter
A trial began in Regina on Monday morning for Michael Gordon Jackson, a man accused of abducting his daughter.
Jackson, 55, is charged with contravening a custody order by taking the child with the intent to keep her from her mother, sometime between Dec. 6, 2021 and Jan. 21, 2022, at Carievale, Sask.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge in front of a room packed with prospective jurors in Regina's Court of King's Bench.
Justice Heather Macmillan-brown, the judge presiding over the trial, gave an overview of the obligations of a jury and the typical reasons why someone might be exempt from having to serve on a jury, before proceeding with selection.
Macmillan-brown asked prospective jurors whether they had any “biases, beliefs, or preconceived notions” about “COVID -19 vaccinations or vaccination mandates.”
Additionally, she would ask whether the prospective jurors had heard or read anything in the media about the investigation into the allegations against Jackson.
Depending on their answers, further questions would be asked in an attempt to discern whether the prospective jurors would be able to act with impartiality.
A publication ban prohibits reporting information arising during the trial that has not been heard by the jury as a whole.
Ultimately, in consultation with both Jackson, who is representing himself, and Crown prosecutor Zoey Kim-zeggelaar, the judge selected 14 jurors to be sworn in.
The law requires 12 jurors, but often the court will select additional jurors in the interest of ensuring that a full complement of jurors is still available, should one or more need to be released during the proceedings.