The Crown has withdrawn charges against OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino (Tobi Cohen, Sun):
…The move by the Crown brought renewed calls from the Opposition for Premier Dalton McGuinty to appoint a prosecutor from another province to review the evidence.
“Bring in an outside prosecutor so people know there’s objectivity,” said Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak.
Attorney General Chris Bentley said the matter was dealt with in the “appropriate manner.”
Only in Ontario.
* * * *
Related:
Crown drops charges against top cop Fantino – Spectator
Crown withdraws charge against Fantino – Globe:
...Mr. McHale also reiterated his demand that an independent prosecutor be brought in to assess the merits of the charge.
In a brief interview, Tory justice critic Ted Chudleigh echoed that.
“We’ve always had the opinion that this should have had an outside prosecutor,” Mr. Chudleigh said.
“If the government influenced the Crown to drop the charge – that’s a big if – then that’s a huge concern.”
* * * *
Background:
OPP chief’s pursuit of activist laid bare in e-mails – Christie Blatchford, Globe
* * * *
Thursday Update
The ‘Fantino matter - Adam Radwanski:
To my slight surprise, this press release just landed in my inbox:
CHUDLEIGH CALLS FOR MCGUINTY TO EXPLAIN FANTINO MATTER
(Queen’s Park) – Today Ted Chudleigh, MPP (Halton) and PC Critic to the Attorney General, questioning how the Crown handled the charge against OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino and noting the failure of the Attorney General to assign an independent Crown Attorney, called on Dalton McGuinty to explain to Ontarians why the charge against Fantino was withdrawn.
Chudleigh would not comment on the allegations against Fantino; however, he noted, “The PC Party called on the Attorney General to assign a Crown Attorney from outside the Province to this case. This would have been consistent with the Attorney General’s decision with Michael Bryant’s file. It would have helped to ensure public trust in our justice system.”
With allegations concerning a conflict of interest within the Ministry of the Attorney General and in light of the Crown’s handling of this matter public confidence in, and respect for, our justice system has been threatened…
Check out the whole thing and Radwanski’s comments at the end. Some of you will feel vindicated regarding your criticism about the Progressive Conservatives on this file.
Fantino’s dropped charge raises ire – Sun:
A decision by an Ontario Crown attorney to withdraw a charge against OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino is being questioned after the province ignored requests for an out-of-province prosecutor.
PC Leader Tim Hudak said the province’s Crowns first argued that the charge should not be laid, and when contradicted by a judge, took over the prosecution and then dropped the charge.
An independent prosecutor from outside Ontario should have been brought in to go over the case, he said.
“Otherwise, quite frankly, we’re going to wonder why he’s had Crown attorneys arguing on both sides of this case,” Hudak said. “We need objectivity.”