Intimate relationship between defense and crown | A major trial in danger

A major trial targeting an alleged network of cannabis traffickers could fall into water due to a secret intimate relationship between a crown prosecutor. Therefore, the lawyer for an accused. In addition, The defense criticizes the director of criminal and criminal proceedings (DPCP) for having denied everything in court first.

Posted at 5:00 a.m.

“There is not a citizen in Canada who would not ask questions. Nevertheless, This is the integrity of the system. Consequently, ”pleaded on Tuesday at the Montreal courthouse, M^e Marc Labelle, one of the lawyers for accused Bruno Desmarais.

It is a blow for the Great Crime intimate relationship between defense crown and Special Business Office (BGCAS), the DPCP elite team. Therefore, Because the dossier in danger is not commonplace. Therefore, It is an “unprecedented” survey of Quebec Sûreté aimed at an alleged network of online cannabis traffickers which would. Moreover, have concluded $ 15 million transactions. Therefore, A dozen accused, some of which are linked to organized crime, were arrested in January 2024¹.

But during the procedures before the trial. Meanwhile, the prosecutor of the crown m^e Alice Bourbonnais-Rougeau hid her bosses and her vis-à-vis her intimate relationship with one of the defense lawyers. Furthermore, A decision fraught with consequences. Moreover, since at least two accused intends to request the cessation of the judicial process or the abortion of the trial.

“There is an important possibility that the public prosecutor could have been made aware of the defense of Mr. Therefore, Desmarais illegitimately,” said court M^e Alexandre Morel, a lawyer from Bruno Desmarais on June 3.

The prosecutor at the heart of this storm. Nevertheless, M^e Alice Bourbonnais-Rougeau, made the headlines in 2023 for being found guilty of offense of leakage and driving with the weakened faculties. In addition, Above all. she had tried to assert her “privileged status” of a prosecutor to get away by barricading herself for hours in her house.

His conviction was confirmed last year, but M^e Bourbonnais-Rougeau brought the decision to intimate relationship between defense crown the Court of Appeal. This is why the prosecutor was able to reintegrate its functions within the BGCAS. She is still part of this team, a spokesperson for the DPCP on Tuesday confirmed.

Intimate relationship between defense crown

Never “as a couple”

Documents filed. in evidence Tuesday as part of a request for decaviting internal DPCP documents lift the veil on this case.

In its written version. M^e Bourbonnais-Rougeau claims to have had “punctual dinners” and “a small number […] physical rapprochement ”in December 2024 and at the beginning of 2025 with M^e Mathieu Rondeau-Pissant, then lawyer for the accused David Keith Bishop. However, she claims to have never been “in a relationship” with him. They are no longer in relation, she said.

“Never have you ever had inappropriate exchanges on the file. I have never obtained or press release from privileged information. […] I have never received information regarding the defense of any of the co -accused in the file. ”insists M^e Bourbonnais-Rougeau in his partially cavited letter.

While the prosecutor. the criminalist were secretly seen, several hearings took place on the file, including a request argued in February. There was even an offer of settlement proposed by the crown and refused by the defense. Note that other prosecutors were teaming up with M^e Bourbonais-leggeau.

At the end of May intimate relationship between defense crown 2025. when M^e Rondeau-Pissant left the file, M^e Bourbonnais-Rougeau swore to his superior, M^e Paul Mercier, that the allegations of intimate links were “false”, according to notes filed in evidence. She explained to him that she had lunches and “nothing more” with her colleague.

On June 3. 2025, a defense lawyer, M^e Morel, asked for the postponement of the hearing due to “extremely serious” allegations which he did not specify. The Bourbonnais-Rougeau prosecutor then replied that this situation was “well known” at the DPCP. An assistant chief prosecutor was also connected to Teamsshe said.

On the return of the break, his colleague M^e Dana Cernacek even insisted by saying that these “extremely vexatious” allegations were “not founded”, according to the DPCP.

However, on that day, the DPCP made “erroneous representations” to “intimidate” its colleague in defense, argued on Tuesday Mr.^e Marc Labelle. “The DPCP and more particularly ABR [M^e Bourbonnais-Rougeau] know it’s true. It’s aggravating, ”insisted the criminalist.

It was only the next day. June 4, 2025, that M^e Bourbonnais-Rougeau admitted to his bosses that he had a relationship with his vis-à-vis defense, according to the DPCP. “In my head, it was a personal relationship,” she told her bosses.

And again there, the information was not fair, because the prosecutor was content to reveal her “physical rapprochements” of December 2024. intimate relationship between defense crown It was the next day. on June 5, 2025, that she confessed to her bosses the extent of her intimate relationship with her colleague.

“At the time, I panicked. […] I lied to M^e Mercier to take the time to discuss it with other people. I am human. I panicked. Additionally, I was not well with that. It was not done in a malicious way. ”she replied in substance, according to a meeting between the prosecutor and her patterns.

Intimate relationship between defense crown

“Not the idea of the century”

M^e Bourbonnais-Rougeau suspects having “followed” after being seen in public with his colleague. according to the notes of M^e Mercier. “She says it was not the idea of the century,” sums up her boss.

This whole chronology raises many questions, according to intimate relationship between defense crown La Défense.

“The way Abr [Alice Bourbonnais-Rougeau] talked about the situation. […] It brings us to credibility challenges, “said Defense lawyer M^e Louis Belleau.

In its written response. the DPCP maintains that there is not “the beginning of the beginning of proof” demonstrating that M^e Rondeau-Pissant “broke his professional secrecy” and that M^e Bourbonnais-Rougeau “received privileged information”. In addition, the prosecutor was “definitively” withdrawn from the prosecution team.

“I listened to M^e Labelle say that a constitutional law seems to have been raped. […] There is not this proof in the file. ”argued Morte^e Marlène Archer, intimate relationship between defense crown chief procure of the BGCAS at the DPCP.

Requests for judicial process should be argued at the end of August. Crown prosecutors will be called upon to testify.

The other co -accused are Jonathane Seguin, Antonino Salvo, Hedi d’Enza, Amato Ricardo Marandola, Mathieu Houde and Normand Evrard.

With the collaboration of Daniel Renaud, The press

1. Read our article “Ten arrests in an unprecedented survey”