July 2022
After a seven-day jury trial, former Vancouver Canucks player Jake Virtanen was found not guilty of sexual assault. Brock Martland, QC was defence counsel, along with Colleen Elden. The high-profile trial took place only six months after the charge was laid. The case also involved a rare pre-trial appeal to the BC Court of Appeal — that Court agreed with the defence that a reporter’s communications with the complainant were not protected by any “journalistic source” privilege, and must be given to the defence for use at trial.
News story: Former Vancouver Canuck found not guilty