All charges have been dropped against Toronto defence lawyer Laura Liscio, after she was accused of smuggling drugs to an inmate at a Brampton courthouse in February.
Peel Regional Police alleged the 32-year-old brought drugs into the A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse on the morning of Feb. 12, and she was subsequently arrested in her court attire.
Liscio initially faced charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking, obstructing justice, and breach of trust. Two charges of obstructing justice and breach of trust were withdrawn by the Crown in March and the remaining three charges were dropped Thursday.
READ MORE: Toronto lawyer to appear in court on drug smuggling charges
“We wish to thank the Crown for a careful review of the file and for withdrawing all of the charges, although we were sure that this day would come, this has been a devastating experience for Ms. Liscio,” her lawyer, Stephen Bernstein told Global News.
“Laura was, always is and will always be innocent. Ms. Liscio is very appreciative of the unwavering support she has received from many friends and colleagues including paralegals, clerks, defence counsel and assistant crown attorneys from all across Canada.”
Benstein called Liscio “one of the finest young counsel in this province” and said it had been an honour and a privilege to represent her.
“It’s basically a case where the decision to withdraw the charges is one that’s made by the Crown Attorney’s office and in this case they’ve determined that there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction,” said Peel Regional Police Staff Sgt. Dan Richardson.
“The matter is still before the courts as another person is currently facing charges in relation to the investigation, so as a result of that, Peel Regional Police are not commenting any further on the case at this time.”
According to the Toronto Star, the charges come after marijuana was found in clothing provided to an inmate who was set to appear before a judge.
READ MORE: Toronto lawyer charged with smuggling drugs into courthouse
At the time, Liscio was representing a Brampton man facing several weapons offenses.
Police had initially said the lawyer was not handcuffed in her court attire but later retracted the statement.
Following her arrest, Liscio was also escorted by both uniformed and plainclothes officers to a marked cruiser.
The Toronto Lawyers Association had called the manner of the arrest “unjustified and unnecessary” and demanded an inquiry into her treatment.
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