Young Offender Case - Drug Problems And Treatment
skip to navigationMs. P was a 16 year old girl who had never been in trouble before. She began dating a new boyfriend who was mixed up with a bad crowd. This boyfriend convinced Ms. P to travel with him outside of Canada to help him smuggle large amounts of cocaine back into the country.
On arrival at the airport in Toronto, Ms. P was searched and several kilograms of cocaine were found taped to her thighs. Authorities claimed this was the largest quantity of narcotic ever imported by a minor into Canada.
Ms. P entered a guilty plea to the charge of importing cocaine with another lawyer. When it was learned that the crown attorney was seeking over two years in jail for Ms. P, Mr. Prutschi was hired to represent her at her sentencing hearing.
Ms. P's case was heard shortly after the introduction of the new Youth Criminal Justice Act. This statute replaced the old Young Offenders Act and no one was really sure how this new law would affect sentencing in a case like Ms. P's.
Mr. Prutschi prepared a detailed brief of caselaw, along with evidence of Ms. P's hard work in school and her many hours of volunteer work. A full day was spent arguing this case before the judge. Ultimately, Ms. P. was sentenced to 6 months of house arrest plus a period of probation - she did not serve a single day in jail.