THUNDER BAY -- A trial for a man charged with trafficking will proceed next week despite the seized drugs in questions being ruled inadmissible.
On Dec. 29, Justice Helen Pierce ruled that key evidence, including 17 kilograms of seized marijuana, will be inadmissible in the trial of Thomas Lacoste, which is scheduled to start Monday at the Thunder Bay Courthouse.
Lacoste was arrested on Oct. 8, 2013 between Marathon and White River by Marathon OPP officers shortly after officers had been told to be on the lookout for a “small, white car, possibly a Chevrolet Cobalt” following a reported gas theft in White River.
He is charged with possession for the purposes of trafficking.
He was pulled over in a silver Honda, which was owned by his boss, and was not questioned about the gas theft.
The two officers noticed what they believed to be traces of marijuana on the passenger seat, which led to a search of the trunk where it is alleged that three garbage bags of marijuana was found.
The owner of the vehicle had a license to grow medical marijuana and told officers that Lacoste did not put the bags in the trunk.
Defence lawyer Christopher Watkins filed a constitutional challenge as to whether the officers were justified in stopping the defendant.
The trial was set to begin on Monday with a judge and jury, but the Crown and defence filed on Thursday to proceed with just a Superior Court judge.
