A Montreal defence lawyer has publicly admitted that his intimate relationship with a prosecutor during a major cannabis trafficking case was inappropriate and should never have occurred. Mathieu Rondeau-Poissant took the witness stand at the Montreal courthouse and conceded he made the conscious decision to keep the relationship secret from everyone involved in the case.
Confrontation Reveals Secret Relationship
The hidden relationship came to light during a meeting on May 13, 2025, when Rondeau-Poissant expected to discuss his replacement on the case. Instead, his client David Keith Bishop, 55, directly confronted him about the relationship with prosecutor Alice Bourbonnais-Rougeau. "I was speechless. It was a weird feeling," Rondeau-Poissant testified about the moment of confrontation.
The defence lawyer admitted that when Bishop asked about the relationship, he initially responded with only "I've seen her" without elaborating further. He maintained that the relationship with Bourbonnais-Rougeau was confidential and that his client obviously was not aware of it while it was ongoing.
Legal Consequences and Ethics Breach
The relationship has sparked serious legal consequences, with one of the accused in the case, Bruno Desmarais, 63, now seeking a stay of proceedings based on conflict of interest grounds. Desmarais argues the intimate relationship between defence and prosecution represented a fundamental breach of legal ethics and speculates that prosecutor Bourbonnais-Rougeau might have had access to defence strategy.
Rondeau-Poissant denied that any defence strategies were shared during the relationship. The case involves a Sûreté du Québec investigation dubbed Operation Postcure, a major cannabis trafficking investigation. If Desmarais succeeds in obtaining a stay of proceedings, it could potentially apply to all other accused individuals in the case.
Professional Fallout and Regret
The professional fallout has been significant for both legal professionals involved. Bourbonnais-Rougeau, who was the lead prosecutor in the case, has been suspended from the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) and is currently on sick leave. It appears she will not testify in the ongoing motion before Quebec Superior Court Justice Gregory Moore.
Rondeau-Poissant expressed deep regret during his testimony, stating "I knew that what I did was wrong" and that he didn't need to consult an ethics expert because he understood the gravity of his actions. He specifically referenced text messages where he wrote to Bourbonnais-Rougeau expressing concern about "the suspension I'm going to get from the Barreau du Québec and the end of my marriage."
The defence lawyer acknowledged that he should have considered the implications for his client, particularly during periods when the DPCP was offering plea arrangements. Justice Moore is scheduled to hear arguments on the motion for stay of proceedings in December 2025.
