The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal listened to arguments in Regina on Wednesday regarding a high-profile case involving cannabis impairment in Saskatoon. Taylor Kennedy faced charges of impaired driving causing death following the tragic incident where nine-year-old Baeleigh Maurice lost her life after being struck by Kennedy’s truck on September 9, 2021.
Kennedy informed the authorities that she had used cannabis through vaping and microdosed psilocybin mushrooms the day before the accident. The case proceeded to trial in provincial court, but Judge Jane Wootten halted the charge on December 13, 2024, citing that the case had exceeded the 18-month time limit imposed by the Supreme Court, still pending approximately six months beyond that timeframe.
The Crown’s appeal highlighted pre-trial delays and a significant period passing after Kennedy’s initial court appearance before opting for a trial by judge. Judge Wootten’s ruling caused a stir in the courtroom, leading to the Crown lodging an appeal a month later in January 2025.
Kennedy was formally charged on March 15, 2022, with final trial arguments occurring on August 30, 2024. During the trial, Kennedy’s defense argued that, excluding reasonable delays, the case had lasted 23 months, while the Crown contended that considering all justifiable delays, including legal challenges and pandemic impacts, the case spanned about 14 months.
In the recent appeal hearing, the Crown argued that the trial judge erroneously disregarded the COVID-19 backlog delay and erred in subtracting interim judicial deliberation time. The Crown appealed for the case to proceed, requesting the stay to be lifted and the trial to resume with the pending evidence and arguments.
Contrarily, the defense maintained that the trial judge’s determination of unreasonable delay in December was correct. The three appeal court judges reserved their decision for a later undisclosed date.
Baeleigh Maurice’s family expressed disappointment over the stay of charges against Kennedy, hoping for a swift resolution from the judges to provide closure and enable them to move forward.