A decision to withdraw criminal charges against an assistant Crown attorney has drawn sharp criticism from Toronto police Chief Bill Blair and the police union.
Roger Shallow was arrested in October 2007 in the entertainment district and charged with causing a disturbance and assault to resist arrest after a confrontation with police on the street and later at 52 Division. The charges were withdrawn on Wednesday.
In an internal message to senior officers released yesterday by the union, Blair said he was “very concerned about the lack of communication and consultation by the Crown prosecutor, prior to this decision being made.” The message said Blair would be “addressing it with the attorney general.”
The Toronto Police Association says it is filing a formal complaint with the attorney general and asking the Law Society of Upper Canada to investigate the conduct of Jeanine E. LeRoy, a London, Ont. lawyer retained by the ministry to handle the case. But defence lawyer David Humphrey, who represented Shallow, said LeRoy made the right decision to withdraw the charges after telling court there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.
“Roger Shallow was guilty of nothing. He never should have been arrested and never should have been charged,” Humphrey said.
