Crown prosecutors appeared at the Court of Appeal for Ontario Monday to try and resurrect charges in what's been described as the worst corruption scandal in the history of the Toronto police force.
In 2004, six police officers from the Toronto drug squad were accused of beating up drug dealers and stealing their money.
A lengthy preliminary inquest process followed and the charges were eventually stayed in 2008, with the judge arguing that the Crown was moving the case forward at a "glacial pace," violating the accused officers' right to a fair trial within a reasonable time frame.
Crown attorney Ken Campbell argued that Justice Ian Nordheimer had erred in his ruling. He told the appeal court's three-judge panel that defence counsel were also responsible for dragging out the court proceeding, and argued that the accused officers had implicitly waived their constitutional rights by agreeing to the scheduled dates in court.
Mr. Campbell also highlighted the complexities of the case, which he said would have caused the delays. At one point he attempted to illustrate the sheer quantity of disclosure papers Crown prosecutors would have to mine, noting that, if stacked, the pile would measure 41 feet.
The hearing is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, although the judge has asked counsel to make themselves available for a fifth day. The judges could rule that Mr. Justice Nordheimer was correct in staying the charges, or the panel could restore the charges against the six officers and order a new trial.