LAWYER BUSTED AFTER INMATE GETS CRACK

A suspended Toronto lawyer was charged after some crack cocaine was
allegedly seized after a meeting with a Don Jail inmate.

The man, who practises both civil and criminal law, was arrested Tuesday
after a meeting with a possible client ended, police claim.

Toronto Police said jail guards had checked the inmate and found nothing,
but became suspicious when the inmate appeared to be hiding something as he
left the meeting with the accused. A second search allegedly found 3.02
grams of crack cocaine, worth between $200 and $250, on the inmate.

Richard Anthony Zemla, 40, who was called to the bar in 1988, is charged
with trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine for the purpose of
trafficking and possession of cocaine. Bulmer said the inmate has been
notified that he will be charged at a future date.

A spokesman with the Law Society of Upper Canada said Zemla was suspended
earlier this year for administrative reasons.

Zemla was released on $15,000 bail yesterday, but it later was rescinded
because of a development that cannot be reported because of a publication
ban. A new bail hearing is scheduled for today.