Lawyers for Doctor Brian Nadler, accused of killing four people in Ontario, finally managed to get his trial changed, particularly fearing a conflict of interest with certain jurors in the region.
Ontario Superior Court Judge Calum MacLeod ultimately ruled in favor of the defense’s request for this first-degree murder trial, the Ottawa Citizen reported Tuesday.
Crimes are usually tried in the county in which they were committed. The trial should therefore have taken place in the township of L’Orignal, which is just a few kilometers from the Hawkesbury Hospital where the patients were at the time of the events.
The verdict will ultimately be made in Ottawa.
“It is true that in a high-profile case involving the regional hospital and four deceased patients, selecting a jury from Prescott and Russell’s limited pool of jurors poses an increased risk that potential jurors may have conflicts of interest,” said the judge.
Defense attorneys also argued that L’Orignal’s small courthouse was not suitable for the conditions of a modern trial, but also that limited housing options in the community made it difficult for lawyers to avoid all interaction with jurors and witnesses.
The doctor, who lives in Dollard-des-Ormeaux on Montreal’s West Island, was arrested in March 2021 for the first-degree murder of 89-year-old Albert Poidinger. He was subsequently released under strict conditions in July 2021.
In August 2022, Ontario Provincial Police announced three additional murder charges would be filed against them in the deaths of Claire Brière, 80, of Rigaud; Lorraine Lalande, 79, from Hawkesbury and Judith Lungulescu, 93, from East Hawkesbury Township.
Also Dr. Nadler’s license to practice medicine was revoked.