A local assistant Crown attorney allegedly failed to disclose the “true nature” of his relationship with the judge overseeing a first-degree murder trial in 2017.
The Law Society of Ontario will hold a professional misconduct hearing for Thomas Meehan, though no date has been set at this time.
The allegations have not been proven.
Efforts to reach Meehan for comment weren’t immediately successful.
The allegations, as outlined in a hearing notice dated Nov. 26, include that during a 2017 murder trial he was prosecuting on, Meehan failed to tell defence counsel “the true nature and extent of his personal relationship with the trial judge, including the fact that he and the trial judge had previously agreed not to appear on the same matters due to the personal nature of their relationship.”
It’s further alleged Meehan met with the trial judge immediately following the jury’s guilty verdict but before sentencing took place.
The two reportedly met for drinks in the company of Meehan’s articling student and the officer-in-charge. Later that evening, Meehan and the judge allegedly met for dinner and drinks alone.
Should the tribunal find Meehan guilty, it can impose penalties including a formal warning, temporary suspension, impose a fine or revoke his licence to practice law in Ontario.
