Noah Corson: Court of Appeal Orders New Trial, Reopening a Contested Night at Drummondville Court
Under the low buzz of fluorescent lights in the Drummondville courthouse corridor, a framed photo of a junior hockey rink hangs near the entrance while lawyers shuffle files. At the centre of that hallway memory sits the name noah corson — once a promising Voltigeurs player, now at the heart of a legal reversal that returns him to court and reopens the facts of a night involving a 15-year-old complainant.
Noah Corson: What the Court of Appeal found
The Quebec Court of Appeal set aside the February 2024 verdict that had convicted the former player of participating in a group sexual assault and ordered a new trial. The appellate panel concluded that the trial judge did not fully weigh evidence that was favourable to the defence claim that the accused believed the complainant was 18. Judges Benoît Moore, Frédéric Bachand and Christian Immer wrote that “it cannot be excluded that an assessment of the defence of error on the age in light of the entirety of relevant elements could have led to a different conclusion. “
At the original trial, Judge Paul Dunnigan had concluded the accused “did not seem to be concerned about the victim’s age, being instead focused on satisfying his sexual desires” that evening. The Court of Appeal found that the trial judge misappreciated testimony about where the encounter took place, the complainant’s apparent mature demeanour, and the accused’s stated belief that she attended Cégep and lived in an apartment — elements the defence argued supported an honest but mistaken belief about age.
Why did the defence claim an error on the age, and what evidence mattered?
The defence presented multiple strands it said supported an honest belief that the complainant was of age: testimony that the complainant appeared to be living in what the accused thought was her apartment, her alleged mature appearance, and comments suggesting she attended Cégep and drank alcohol. The trial judge had found the Crown proved the accused had not taken “all reasonable steps” to verify age. The appellate panel determined the judge did not consider the totality of the defence evidence and that omission justified a new hearing.
Legal counsel named in the appeal include Frédérique Le Colleter, representing the public prosecutor’s office, and Jasmin Laperle-Marquis, representing the accused at the Court of Appeal. The appellate decision did not grant an immediate acquittal; it remands the matter for a fresh trial to determine guilt or innocence on the contested charges.
What happens next for the accused, the complainant and the justice system?
The new trial will reopen evidence about the events at issue: a night when the accused and two younger co-accused met the 15-year-old complainant at a restaurant-bar and later went to an apartment. The identities of the two 17-year-old co-accused remain protected under youth privacy rules. Previously, the two had received youth court sentences after admitting guilt in related proceedings.
Me Marc-André Roy, the public prosecutor, said he would first review the Court of Appeal decision and meet with the complainant before speaking publicly, signaling that the Crown will consider its options before the matter returns to trial. The appellate judges explicitly declined to order an acquittal, leaving the criminal process open and requiring the justice system to reassess evidence at a new hearing.
For the community that watched the case closely, the order for a new trial raises questions about how trial judges evaluate contested credibility and how appellate courts balance deference with correction when evidence may have been misread.
Back in the courthouse corridor, the framed rink looks the same but the story has shifted: noah corson’s conviction has been set aside and the legal contest resumes. The new trial will test whether the elements the appeal judges found were overlooked will change the outcome, and whether the search for a durable resolution can begin for all involved.
