Lawyer for Toronto councillor Michael Thompson in sexual assault case steps away
The lawyer who was acting on behalf of long city councillor Michael Thompson when he was charged in a sexual assault investigation has stepped away from the case.
Lawyer Calvin Barry told CP24 on Saturday he will no longer be representing Thompson as he fights to clear the charges.
Barry first confirmed earlier this week the longtime Scarborough councillor was facing two counts of sexual assault.
His close ties with Thompson were the reason for his resignation from the case, saying he would not be objective enough to carry out his duties as a lawyer.
Barry added that Thompson retained him on an emergency basis when he found out about the charges, ensuring that he cooperated with police.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said they charged the 62-year-old councillor in connection with alleged sexual assaults that occurred at a private residence in Muskoka. Police are not releasing further details about the case to protect the identity of the victims.
According to Barry, the complaints were made by two women, and the alleged incident happened back at the beginning of July.
Before resigning as Thompson’s lawyer, he told CTV News Toronto the councillor plans to plead not guilty and will put up a “vigorous defence.”
“We have some information, kind of reciprocal disclosure so to speak, (that) we’ll be providing to the OPP shortly and hopefully that this will be behind him sooner than later,” Barry said.
Thompson is scheduled to appear in a Bracebridge court on Nov. 1.
He is seeking to be re-elected as the councillor for Ward 21 Scarborough Centre in the Oct. 24 municipal election.
Thompson was one of the deputy mayors and a member of Mayor John Tory’s executive committee. He also chaired the city’s economic and community development committee.
In a statement following the news of his charges, Tory said the councillor had agreed to step down from those positions.
He was first elected to city council in 2003.
It was not immediately known who will represent Thompson in the case moving forward. CP24 has reached out to Thompson but has not heard back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'Wild, wild west.' Families say organs of deceased Alabama inmates have been removed without their consent
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.