THUNDER BAY – A Kingston, Ont., man has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Antoine Bouchard.
On Tuesday, Joshua Leblanc, 31, entered the plea at the start of what is expected to be a two-week trial at the Thunder Bay Courthouse on Tuesday.
Leblanc was arrested in Kingston on March 30, 2022, two months after 37-year-old Bouchard was found deceased on Jan. 26, 2022 in a residence in the 300 block of Bethune Street.
Leblanc had first elected to be tried by a judge and jury and on Tuesday re-elected to be tried by a judge alone.
On Tuesday morning, Justice Danial Newton said a publication ban under section 539(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada was in place.
That section of the code covers evidence taken during a preliminary inquiry and typically doesn’t cover evidence heard at trial.
However, Justice Newton said the publication ban means “there be no publication of any evidence in this trial until the evidence is concluded.”
It was not made clear why the ban was in place.
An order was also made excluding witnesses from the courtroom until they are called in to testify.
The trial is expected to resume Wednesday morning.
The allegations against Leblanc have not been proven in court.
