A 19-year-old woman is facing up to six months in jail after admitting in court Friday that she hurled a patio chair from the 45th-floor balcony of a downtown Toronto condo tower earlier this year.Marcella Zoia pleaded guilty to one count of mischief endangering life for the Feb. 9 incident that was filmed and widely distributed in a viral video online, sparking public outrage.Crown attorney Heather Keating told Ontario Court Justice Mara Greene the prosecution will be seeking a six-month jail sentence for the offence, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14.Zoia’s lawyer, Greg Leslie, said outside the Old City Hall courthouse that a non-custodial sentence with probation is a more appropriate punishment, given his client’s age and prospects for rehabilitation.“When you deal with somebody so young, in my opinion ... the brain’s not fully developed, she’s was still a young lady at that time. She made a mistake, I think jail is far excessive and we’ll be asking for a suspended sentence.”Asked if he thought the Crown was seeking jail time because of Zoia’s continued “social media presence,” since her arrest last winter, Leslie said, “it’s a possibility.” But the case’s extensive media coverage could have influenced prosecution’s position, Leslie said, noting that the charge is very serious. As he has always maintained, Leslie said “peer pressure” from others with Zoia that morning prompted her reckless action.Dressed in head-to-toe black, Zoia bolted from the courthouse into a waiting SUV without speaking to reporters following the hearing. Leslie said she is suffering from a “lot of anxiety” knowing she could be going to jail.In court, Keating read a relatively short synopsis of what happened last winter and played the infamous 10-second video recorded that Saturday around 10 a.m. Zoia responde ...
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