Crown seeks appeal of post-verdict mistrial in Frank Stronach assault case

In a Toronto trial, billionaire Frank Stronach was convicted in June of sexual assault and indecent assault based on allegations from two women. After the verdict, Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy granted a mistrial on the sexual-assault charge, citing emails from a separate civil complaint that suggested a narrative inconsistent with the victim’s courtroom testimony. Stronach’s attorney, Leora Shemesh, argued that the woman had not been given an opportunity to be heard before the mistrial was issued.

The Crown, acting as the prosecution, is now appealing the judge’s post-verdict mistrial ruling, a move considered unusual in Canadian law. While the sexual-assault conviction is in limbo, Stronach still faces sentencing for the indecent-assault conviction, set for September. The case originally involved up to a dozen charges from the late 1970s to the 1990s, with several charges withdrawn or dismissed during the trial.