Sudbury-born former NHLer uses AI to appeal fraud conviction
Troy Crowder pled guilty to submitting a forged document for a 2019 insurance payout
Former NHL player and political candidate Troy Crowder was at the Sudbury courthouse on Wednesday to appeal a fraud conviction from 2022.
Back then, Crowder pled guilty to knowingly submitting a forged document during an insurance payout, which helped divert $45,000 away from his estranged wife.
He received an eight-month conditional sentence, the first half of which had to be served on house arrest and a one-year probation order.
Crowder, who was best-known as a fighter and enforcer during his pro hockey career, says this appeal isn't about overturning his sentence, which he already served, it's about clearing his name.
"I've had a great reputation my whole life," he told CBC. "I'm an innocent person."
He says the conviction has prevented him from attending his children's hockey games south of the border and has made it harder for him to access healthcare in the U.S.
Artificial intelligence used to find grounds for appeal
Crowder— who ran for the Progressive Conservatives in Sudbury in the 2018 provincial election— represented himself during the appeal hearing, partly for financial reasons, but also because he wanted to test out some of the knowledge he gained while serving his sentence.
"After spending four months on house arrest, I did a lot of reading about the law… I found out that you're allowed to use AI in court," he said.
Crowder used that technology to find grounds for appeal and write up legal documentation.
"I asked AI for advice and every time it said 'ineffective counsel' or 'miscarriage of justice' from the Crown."
In court, he argued he had received poor legal advice that led him to accept a disadvantageous plea deal instead of heading to trial.
Crowder interrupted and spoke over the judge presiding over the appeal hearing on several occasions.
The Crown prosecutor maintained there were no grounds for appeal, and that there wasn't enough substantive evidence to reopen the case.
The judge reserved their decision and warned that it would take time before the parties would know the outcome of the appeal.
If it is granted, the fraud case would head to trial, where Crowder would again face five fraud charges instead of the single one he pled guilty to in 2022.