After more than three months, the Crown has closed its case in the Toronto drug squad corruption trial.
Prosecutor Milan Rupic told an Ontario Superior Court jury Wednesday that he and his three co-counsel would be calling no further evidence.
Jurors have heard from 25 witnesses in a trial that began Jan. 16.
Rupic also said that “in light of the available evidence,” the Crown will no longer be proceeding with four of 14 counts, including perjury.
John Schertzer, 54; Raymond Pollard, 48; Joseph Miched, 53; Steven Correia, 45; and Ned Maodus, 49, still face various charges, laid in 2004, including attempting to obstruct justice, assault and extortion between 1997 and 2002.
The jury returns Monday.
Defence lawyers for the five former Central Field Command drug squad officers have not said if they will call evidence.
But Patrick Ducharme, lawyer for Maodus, has told the jury he anticipates they will hear from Richard Benoit, another former drug squad officer.
Former marijuana dealer Christopher Quigley, 46, testified that Benoit and Maodus viciously punched, kicked and choked him when he was in custody in 1998.
One of the counts — attempting to obstruct justice — for which the Crown is no longer calling evidence concerns another former drug dealer, Larry Vacon, 51.
Prosecutors had told the jury they expected Vacon would testify that in 1997, after he was arrested by the drug squad, he saw them searching his Parkdale apartment illegally.
But when Vacon took the stand in February, he said he could no longer clearly remember the event.
Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Peter Small
Prosecutor Milan Rupic told an Ontario Superior Court jury Wednesday that he and his three co-counsel would be calling no further evidence.
Jurors have heard from 25 witnesses in a trial that began Jan. 16.
Rupic also said that “in light of the available evidence,” the Crown will no longer be proceeding with four of 14 counts, including perjury.
John Schertzer, 54; Raymond Pollard, 48; Joseph Miched, 53; Steven Correia, 45; and Ned Maodus, 49, still face various charges, laid in 2004, including attempting to obstruct justice, assault and extortion between 1997 and 2002.
The jury returns Monday.
Defence lawyers for the five former Central Field Command drug squad officers have not said if they will call evidence.
But Patrick Ducharme, lawyer for Maodus, has told the jury he anticipates they will hear from Richard Benoit, another former drug squad officer.
Former marijuana dealer Christopher Quigley, 46, testified that Benoit and Maodus viciously punched, kicked and choked him when he was in custody in 1998.
One of the counts — attempting to obstruct justice — for which the Crown is no longer calling evidence concerns another former drug dealer, Larry Vacon, 51.
Prosecutors had told the jury they expected Vacon would testify that in 1997, after he was arrested by the drug squad, he saw them searching his Parkdale apartment illegally.
But when Vacon took the stand in February, he said he could no longer clearly remember the event.
Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Peter Small
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