The Democracy Fund client leaves the court a free man.
WINDSOR: The crown attorney has withdrawn all criminal charges against William Laframboise, the alleged leader of the Windsor protests that blocked the Ambassador Bridge in February 2022.
The Democracy Fund (TDF) litigation director, Alan Honner, stood beside his client, LaFramboise, as the charges were withdrawn before Justice Campbell this past Wednesday. While the crown attorney stated that there were triable issues, he also explained to the court that it was not in the public interest to prosecute Laframboise given the evidentiary challenges of the crown’s case and other serious matters that were vying for trial time in a backlogged court system.
According to Honner, there is a wide gap between triable issues and proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If the crown felt they had a strong case, they would likely have proceeded to trial, given the economic significance of the blockade.
“Mr. Laframboise has always maintained his innocence,” says Honner. “He insisted on his right to trial, and we believe he would have been acquitted had the charges not been dropped.”
Unlike many protestors who were arrested in the midst of the protest, Laframboise was arrested approximately six months after the fact. His arrest was the result of an ongoing police investigation which sought to identify an organizer of the protests.
Laframboise is the last of TDF’s clients who were facing trial for their alleged role in the Ambassador Bridge protests. TDF represented approximately one-third of all persons arrested during those protests. Their sole conviction is currently under appeal.
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