RED DEER, Alta. — A judge who was chastised by Alberta's Appeal Court in 2014 for his handling of a sexual assault case has decided to take early retirement.
The Alberta Court of Appeal criticized Court of Queen's Bench Justice Kirk Sisson for acquitting a suspect in a sexual assault case.
The court said Sisson made a mistake when he ruled the woman consented after trying to fend off her attacker for 20 minutes.
The Appeal Court said submitting to a sexual act was not the same as consent and it substituted the acquittal for a conviction.
Sisson will take an early retirement beginning Jan. 3 but could have remained on the bench for another 10 years.
He will receive an annual pension payout of $142,000.
