A $13-million lawsuit has been filed against a local lawyer and his law partner by the victim in an alleged sexual assault case against him.
The lawsuit was filed in Sault Ste. Marie on Dec. 20 in the Superior Court of Justice.
It names both Adam Castonguay and Samantha Prescott as defendants. They are partners at Conroy Scott LLP in Sudbury, which is also named in the lawsuit.
Castonguay is headed to a trial confirmation hearing on Jan. 31 for his criminal matter. He is charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual assault - chokes, suffocates or strangles, from an alleged incident that took place in December 2020.
A publication ban on those matters prevents any information that might identify the victim from being published.
There is no publication ban on the lawsuit, however, Sudbury.com has chosen not to name the alleged victim.
Castonguay is being represented by defence lawyer Stephen Proudlove in his criminal matters, but is listed as unrepresented in the lawsuit.
In June, the Law Society of Ontario dismissed a motion to suspend Castonguay’s licence, but placed restrictions on his ability to practise law.
Castonguay was also charged in February 2021 with assault and forcible confinement in a separate incident dating back to 2013. On June 8 last year, Castonguay entered into a one-year common-law peace bond with the complainant in this matter, and the charges have been withdrawn as a result.
Emails and calls to both the plaintiff’s lawyer and the defendant’s office have gone unanswered.
