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
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'