Jury Returns with Acquittal for Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Marijuana Resin & Proceeds Charges

R. v. B & T

Lisa Bristow and Jillian Carrington were working together on a case coming out of Parry Sound, Ontario.  Their clients were each facing six charges related to the possession and production of marijuana and marijuana resin.  While it was clear that there was no defence to three of the charges, the Crown was unwilling to negotiate a reasonable resolution agreement.  As such, both of our clients decided to take the matter to trial, knowing that they would be found guilty on three of the six charges. 

The trial by jury lasted two weeks wherein Ms. Bristow and Ms. Carrington presented a joint defence that Mr. B and Mr. T grew marijuana and made marijuana resin but were doing it solely for personal use.  Ms. Bristow and Ms. Carrington worked countless hours together finding all possible discrepancies and issues in each of the witnesses notes and testimony that would assist in the theory of the defence.  Ms. Bristow and Ms. Carrington also prepared Mr. B to testify on behalf of the defence to tell his and Mr. T’s side of the story.  Mr. B testified with confidence and held up under a skilled cross-examination.

After all of the evidence was presented, the jury began deliberations.  When they returned a verdict, Mr. B and Mr. T were acquitted of two of the three charges that the defence was contesting; those charges were possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana resin and possession of the proceeds of crime.  Mr. B and Mr. T were happy with the result as they knew winning the possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana was a long shot.  Despite the conviction on the one charge, Ms. Bristow and Ms. Carrington successfully knocked out two of the charges which would have surely increased Mr. B and Mr. T’s sentence.  As a result, Mr. B and Mr. T were able to have all of the money seized returned to them and the $15,000 generator that they intended to resell.