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Button walks away

Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 11/00) - David Button's second trial on sex-related charges ended as the first did - with the jury unable to acquit or convict the former guidance counsellor.

After eight hours of deliberation the jury told Justice John Vertes that they were "deadlocked with no hope of change."

It is now up to the Crown to decide if Button will be tried a third time.

A former student, now 43, at Inuvik's Samuel Hearne High School accused Button of indecent assault and gross indecency.

He testified that he told Button about Paul Leroux, a supervisor at Grollier Hall in Inuvik, who was convicted of sex crimes.

Button testified that he didn't alert authorities in the proper way. "With the benefit of hindsight would I have done it a lot differently? Yes," Button said.