THE COPS AND THE COURTS

It is hard enough to hear of police officers being charged with
abusing their powers. But it is inexcusable when prosecutorial
bungling prompts judges to rule that justice delayed is justice denied
for these accused cops.

Two separate court rulings within two years have allowed Toronto
police officers accused in major corruption cases to go free.

This week, Superior Court Justice Bonnie Croll tossed out charges
against two former high-profile police officers accused of shaking
down local bar owners. In this complex case, she detailed the
questionable conduct by a police investigator who led the probe,
blaming him for delays that were later compounded by a disorganized
crown, which was slow to disclose evidence to the defence.

Last year, another judge stayed charges against six former members of
the Toronto police drug squad accused of corruption. Although that
decision was later overturned on appeal, it raised disturbing
questions about how the Attorney General's ministry is managing such
high-profile cases.

The ministry requested a formal review of the handling of complex
cases by two outside experts last year, but it excluded these two
highly controversial police trials from the study.

Meanwhile, the take-home message for the general public is that police
officers accused of corruption are not standing trial, and that is a
disturbing outcome.