Crown at gas plants trial says no `reasonable prospect´ of conviction on breach of trust charges
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

The Crown says it has no “reasonable prospect� of conviction on charges of breach of trust in the gas-plants trial, meaning the case will go ahead on the remaining accusations of mischief and misuse of a computer.The news came just after court resumed Friday morning and as lawyers for Laura Miller and David Livingston prepared to argue for a directed verdict on the charges.They plan to still seek the directed verdict of not guilty on the other charges.Crown attorney Tom Lemon told court there was “no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction� and that the Crown “has a duty to act accordingly� and drop the breach of trust charges. When their trial began in September, Livingston and Miller each pleaded not guilty to breach of trust, mischief in relation to data and misuse of a computer system in relation to the alleged deletion of documents before Premier Kathleen Wynne took power as McGuinty stepped down amid controversy in February 2013.McGuinty had announced his plans to resign and prorogued the Legislature in October 2012 with his minority government under a legal order from an opposition-dominated legislative committee to produce documents explaining the decision to cancel natural gas-fired power plants in Oakville and Mississauga before the 2011 election.The Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats accused the government of axing and moving the plants as a “seat saver� move because community opposition to the plants threatened to defeat Liberal MPPs representing areas surrounding the two plants.McGuinty told a legislative committee the plants were cancelled because they were too close to residential areas.He was not a subject of the Ontario Provincial Police investigation and co-operated with detectives investigating the case. The charges were initially laid against Livingston and Miller in December 2015, which was 18 months after two Conservative MPPs first asked the OPP to investigate. With files from Rob ...