A Quebec Court judge has determined there is enough evidence to bring the murder case against Michel Cadotte to a trial.
After having heard evidence over the course of three non-consecutive days as part of a preliminary inquiry that began in July, Judge David-Emmanuel Simon ruled on Monday the 56-year-old man accused of killing his wife, Jocelyne Lizotte, while she was in the final stages of Alzheimer’s, should be tried on a charge of second-degree murder. A request that Lizotte’s life be terminated through medical assistance was rejected before she died. Under Quebec’s “End-of-Life Care” act, which came into effect on Dec. 10, 2015, a patient can seek medical assistance in dying.
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Lizotte, 60, died on Feb. 20 at the Centre d’hebergement Émilie-Gamelin, a long-term care institution of Dufresne St., where she was being treated for the disease. Simon made the decision after having heard testimony from a nurse and two doctors who treated Lizotte before she died. Simon placed a publication ban on all evidence heard during the preliminary inquiry, which is a standard procedure at this stage of a criminal case.
Cadotte was granted bail in July and attended the hearing accompanied by his sister France Cadotte as well as Lizotte’s sister, Johanne Lizotte. In a rare instance for a murder case, Cadotte was able to sit next to his lawyer, Nicolas Welt, as the last witness testified on Monday. He recorded several notes in a spiral notepad and was able to consult with Welt while his attorney put questions to the witness.
The case will return to court on Nov. 29.
