The case against a Wallaceburg woman accused of leading a protest against provincial COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 has been dismissed.
Laura Myers pleaded not guilty to a charge under the Reopening Ontario Act for organizing the November, 2020 gathering in downtown Chatham.
At the time, a Chatham-Kent bylaw officer claimed there were over 100 people at the event in Tecumseh Park and subsequent march through the downtown core, despite provincial rules limiting outdoor gatherings to 25 people.
However, using drone footage collected by Chatham-Kent Police, Justice Helen Gale ruled yesterday that the charges would be dropped.
Had Myers been found guilty, the charge could have carried a fine ranging from $10,000-$100,000 and a year behind bars.
The verdict in the case was initially expected to be delivered next month, but was rescheduled to yesterday afternoon.
In a letter to CKXS News, Myers’ defence attorney, Antoine d’Ailly, said Justice Gale also commented on the waste of police and public funds involved in the matter.
