Month: May 2017

If a person gives the appearance of doing something suspicious, it does not always follow that a crime has been, or is about to be, committed. Unfortunately, the mere appearance of suspicion may be enough to garner attention from the police, whether warranted or not. Two Greater Toronto Area residents face multiple charges each, including drug trafficking, after police officers noticed them sitting in a parked car. On May 22, police in Barrie spotted a vehicle parked behind a hotel. Although the police refuse to say why they felt the situation was suspicious, officers approached the vehicle. The two occupants, a…

As has been mentioned in this blog before, media scrutiny makes it difficult for anyone accused of a crime to lead a normal life. Although any person suspected of committing a crime is innocent until and unless shown to be otherwise, that will not prevent the media from circulating the name and photograph of someone accused of a crime. It's a difficult situation for any person, but that shouldn't prevent him or her from pursuing justice. A recent example involves a Toronto man charged with two counts of sexual assault. The first incident allegedly took place somewhere between June 1 and July 31,…

People will often say that good things seem to happen in threes. For a pair of Greater Toronto Area men, however, three is not a lucky number. The two men are accused by police of going on a crime spree and committing three robberies in various locations around the west end of Toronto. According to Toronto Police, the robberies took place between April 18, and April 30. On each occasion, two men wearing balaclavas, one armed with a knife, entered the premises and demanded cash. After placing the money in a bag, the two men would flee the location. The targeted businesses included…

Police officers sometimes throw charges around like a chef throws pasta against the wall; they both just want to see what sticks. Unlike good spaghetti, however, serious criminal allegations are very unappetizing. Two men who can attest to that were arrested recently in north Toronto. On May 3, Toronto Police executed a search warrant at a home near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue. During the search, officers seized a quantity of drugs found on the premises. The police allegedly found 134 Alprazolam pills, 36 grams of cocaine and 150 grams of marijuana. Alprazolam is a drug employed to treat certain anxiety disorders. During the search, the…

After a person has consumed alcohol, it is always a good choice to not get behind the wheel of an automobile, or to attempt to ride a motorcycle. As it turns out, however, there are other ways to end up with an impaired drivingcharge in Ontario. A man faces multiple charges after he took to the streets on two wheels after having a few drinks. On April 29, a OPP officer on patrol noted an e-bike rider that seemed to be driving erratically. The officer conducted a traffic stop of the rider to assess the situation. He ascertained the operator had…

As most Canadians are aware, the federal government has vowed to legalize marijuana in this country. Part of the plan includes changes to laws covering driving under the influence of drugs in Ontario and across Canada. While the need to regulate driving while high is obvious, how it can be accomplished is less clear. Some experts believe it will be very difficult to establish legal limits for pot impairment. The plan is to establish a legal limit for THC, the active component of marijuana, in the bloodstream. This is similar to current methods of establishing drunk driving. As proposed, any person with…

These are volatile times for gender relations issues. How society perceives sexual assault, and how the legal system deals with it, are under intense scrutiny of late. Without a doubt, sex crimes are a serious matter, and it is good to maintain an open dialogue with hopes of changing how people think about these types of crimes. It is, however, a very bad time for anyone accused of sexual assault, as a recently arrested Toronto man will no doubt agree. The alleged incident happened on April 24, at Kennedy subway station. An 18-year-old woman claims that at about 12:30 a.m. a…

Drug charges come in many different forms and in varying degrees of severity. Charges for importing drugs are among the most severe, and an accusation of such should be of great concern to an individual. For someone whose job it is to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country, a charge of importing illegal substances may be personally devastating. Two border agents working at Toronto's Pearson International Airport face accusations that could tarnish their reputations and ruin their careers. Capping off a year-long investigation, RCMP officers made a series of arrests recently. Police arrested five men, including two Canadian Border Services Agency employees. They…