Verdict day looms again for Jeremy Hall: judge denies defence request to reopen case

Jeremy Hall will get his next and perhaps last day in court Jan. 5, now that a judge has denied a request from the accused killer's lawyers to reopen the trial surrounding the William Billy" Mason homicide.

Hall's defence team argued a motion Thursday before Judge Andrew Goodman to hear new evidence in the trial, which had concluded early in September.

Hall is accused of shooting Mason to death with a shotgun nearly 15 years ago and burning his body.

He was convicted of first-degree murder in the case in 2013, but the verdict was overturned in 2019 and a new trial ordered. The current trial was paused for five months due to the pandemic shutdown.

Defence lawyers had suggested to the judge recently that new evidence be admitted regarding the credibility of the Crown's star witness against Hall, his former partner in crime Jason Lusted.

Lusted testified against Hall when the trial began early in 2020. In October, Lusted was arrested and charged by Niagara Regional Police with second-degree murder in the death of a 74-year-old man.

Hall's lawyer, Renee Gregor, told the judge last month that the main material issue would be the credibility of Mr. Lusted, but it's going to be more complicated than that."

Assistant-Crown attorney Mark Dean had countered that the new charge involving Lusted is irrelevant, since it relates to an event that happened a full month after closing submissions in the Hall matter."

After hearing submissions from the defence and Crown on Thursday, Goodman ruled against reopening the case, adding that he will release his reasons at a later date.

And he set Jan. 5 as the day he will give a verdict in the murder trial at John Sopinka Courthouse.

Lusted was the Crown's key witness, as the only person prosecutors have suggested witnessed the Mason homicide.

During this second trial, by judge alone, Hall's lawyer went point-by-point over Lusted's lengthy crime record.

Yeah, I lied in the past," Lusted interjected on the stand, his voice rising. I stole, but I'm not lying now and I'm not a killer. If you have your hopes pinned to my criminal record, then c'est la vie. Let's do it."

Jon Wells is a Hamilton-based reporter and feature writer for The Spectator. Reach him via email: jwells@thespec.com