Charges against a man accused of being a pimp have been thrown out after an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that a police officer involved in the case fabricated evidence and lied on the stand.
Charges against a man accused of being a pimp have been thrown out after an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that a Peel Region police officer involved in the case fabricated evidence and lied on the stand. Canadian PressThe problem involving Const. George Wang only came to light after Courtney Salmon's lawyer finally found contradictory information in the notes of other officers involved in the case.
Salmon had faced pimping charges before, but they didn't stick.
A year ago, he was arrested in Brampton and faced numerous new charges, including human trafficking.
Police said they found false identification for a young girl in Salmon's wallet — something that could clearly implicate him.
Salmon's lawyer requested police notes, which took months to get. The last ones weren't disclosed until just before trial. When the lawyer finally read the notes, she found a key contradiction.
False identification papers belonging to the girl had not been in Salmon's wallet, but had been given to police earlier by the girl herself.
"I could not quite believe what I was seeing, but to me it was incontradictable proof that Constable Wang was lying," said Jennifer Penman, Salmon's lawyer.
Officers 'concocted a scheme': judge
After reviewing police testimony, the judge ruled beyond a reasonable doubt that "Constable George Wang and one or more other police officers concocted a scheme to make it appear that the false identification was found in Mr. Salmon's wallet."
The judge stayed the charges.
This is the latest in a string of high-profile cases in which police conduct has led to charges being stayed.
Penman said what the police did undermines the integrity of the legal process.
"Our whole system of justice is based on faith in police investigating, and presenting their case fairly and truthfully … the community should have grave concerns that the police are not only fabricating evidence, but coming to court and lying about it."
Penman wants the officers involved investigated and punished, but they remain on the job.
A spokesperson for the Peel Police Service said they have not been disciplined, despite the judge's findings.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/06/24/ontario-court-case.html
Charges against a man accused of being a pimp have been thrown out after an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that a Peel Region police officer involved in the case fabricated evidence and lied on the stand. Canadian PressThe problem involving Const. George Wang only came to light after Courtney Salmon's lawyer finally found contradictory information in the notes of other officers involved in the case.
Salmon had faced pimping charges before, but they didn't stick.
A year ago, he was arrested in Brampton and faced numerous new charges, including human trafficking.
Police said they found false identification for a young girl in Salmon's wallet — something that could clearly implicate him.
Salmon's lawyer requested police notes, which took months to get. The last ones weren't disclosed until just before trial. When the lawyer finally read the notes, she found a key contradiction.
False identification papers belonging to the girl had not been in Salmon's wallet, but had been given to police earlier by the girl herself.
"I could not quite believe what I was seeing, but to me it was incontradictable proof that Constable Wang was lying," said Jennifer Penman, Salmon's lawyer.
Officers 'concocted a scheme': judge
After reviewing police testimony, the judge ruled beyond a reasonable doubt that "Constable George Wang and one or more other police officers concocted a scheme to make it appear that the false identification was found in Mr. Salmon's wallet."
The judge stayed the charges.
This is the latest in a string of high-profile cases in which police conduct has led to charges being stayed.
Penman said what the police did undermines the integrity of the legal process.
"Our whole system of justice is based on faith in police investigating, and presenting their case fairly and truthfully … the community should have grave concerns that the police are not only fabricating evidence, but coming to court and lying about it."
Penman wants the officers involved investigated and punished, but they remain on the job.
A spokesperson for the Peel Police Service said they have not been disciplined, despite the judge's findings.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/06/24/ontario-court-case.html