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By Gates Guarin

Facing several conduct charges

Conduct hearing dates set for Medicine Hat police officer

Sep 20, 2022 | 4:21 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A Medicine Hat police officer who was found not guilty of sexual assault will now undergo a professional conduct hearing.

Counsel met on video call Tuesday morning during a public hearing to discuss the details of the hearing for Const. Chance Franklin. Franklin, who did not appear on the video call, was charged with one count of sexual assault back in October of 2020.

The charges stem from an incident at a licensed establishment in the city when Franklin was off-duty. The trial concluded in March of this year in Lethbridge court where he was found not guilty.

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With the trial now concluded, the Medicine Hat Police Service has begun the process of conducting a hearing on Franklin’s professional conduct.

Franklin is facing several conduct charges, including:

• Two counts of discreditable conduct and insubordination regarding alleged off-duty conduct,
• Deceit and discreditable conduct regarding alleged in-court conduct, and
• Two counts of insubordination regarding alleged conduct during the internal investigation

He is currently suspended from the police service without pay. Franklin’s lawyer, Alain Hepner, entered a plea of “not guilty” to all conduct charges.

The hearing has been tentatively set for five days in Medicine Hat, but will not run consecutively due to scheduling conflicts.

The hearing dates are scheduled for Nov. 15-16, Nov. 21-22 and Jan. 23, 2023. A date of Jan. 30, 2023 has also been set aside for arguments, if needed.