TORONTO, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The judge who dismissed charges against six former members of the Toronto narcotics squad ignored the complexity of the case, the government said Friday.
The Ontario attorney general filed a notice of appeal, the National Post reported.
The police officers were charged in January 2004, six years after a massive investigation began into allegations that Toronto police officers had stolen drugs and money and assaulted alleged drug dealers during raids. Judge Ian Nordheimer ruled last week that "the glacial progress of this investigation" was unjustified.
The judge made "serious and palpable error regarding the size, complexity and inherent requirements of the case," the appeal notice said. While the trial may have been delayed, the appeal is moving quickly with the notice filed only eight days after Nordheimer's dismissal of the charges.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, responding to calls for a government inquiry into the case, said it cannot take place while the appeal is under way.
