73 Charges Cleared In Massive G20 Court Case
Posted August 25, 2010 8:51 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
After some 300 people appeared in court on Monday on G20-related charges, almost one quarter of their cases were either settled or dismissed.
The province’s Ministry of the Attorney General said 304 people faced charges ranging from mischief to weapons possession during the G20 summit in July. Spokesman Brendan Crawley confirmed 231 people are still outstanding – 227 had their cases adjourned to days from the end of August to mid-October. Bench warrants have been issued for four people who didn’t show up.
Of the 73 cases left, 27 were withdrawn, 31 were stayed and six people pleaded guilty. Nine people were listed in error, which the ministry says usually means a person has been charged twice for the same crime.
Twenty-two of those who had their charges withdrawn did so by agreeing to make a donation to charity or perform community service. The remaining five signed peace bonds. The 31 whose charges were stayed could see their cases brought back before the courts within the next year if the Crown so chooses.
The G20 summit was held in Toronto on June 26 and 27. During that time, a group of people dressed in black broke off from a peaceful protest and smashed store windows and torched at least five police cars.
The majority of people appearing Monday were arrested at a protest at the Ontario legislature on June 26. Police said the group also included about 20 others arrested after officers released photos of the “most wanted” suspects.
