An experienced criminal lawyer at the Newmarket courthouse says his increasing expectation is that Marco Muzzo will plead guilty in the new year to avoid a trial.
The 29-year-old King resident has been in prison in Lindsay since the late September crash that killed three young children — Harry, Daniel and Millie Neville-Lake and their grandfather, King resident Gary Neville.
It also left two other family members badly injured.
One detail that gives credence to the theory that a deal is in the works is Greenspan's request for Muzzo to appear in person at the Newmarket court Jan. 6, according to criminal lawyer Domenic Manzo.
A further indication, Manzo said, is that Muzzo's legal team has yet to request bail.
"That's a big sign," he told yorkregion.com. "Once a bail hearing is delayed more than once, you start thinking, ‘What's going on?’
Defence will have been waiting to see what kind of case they have against them. If it's a strong case, lots of witnesses and he's on scene when police arrive, then defence might say, ‘Best to plead out'."
He said if this is, indeed, the defence's strategy, then Muzzo will have been, up until now, showing remorse by remaining behind bars.
It will also play to his benefit if he chooses to plead prior to bail ever being sought, because he will get the maximum amount of credit for admitting guilt at the earliest point.
At that point, if the Crown and defence can work out a deal and then present it to a judge at judicial pretrial, he added that Muzzo could be out of prison by 2018.
"I would have expected between eight and 10 years, but I've heard rumours that it's as low as seven," he said.
Manzo added that if the Muzzo family – one of the richest in Canada – puts up a large donation toward a foundation and gives some money to the Neville-Lake family, the sentence could be lowered significantly.
Muzzo could serve as little as two years in a minimum security prison, considering he’s garnering 1-1/2 days worth of credit for each 24 hours he's in prison pre-trial. Furthermore, a prisoner typically serves one third of his sentence in Canada.
Manzo added that there is some precedence in Canadian sentencing where an injection of cash can draw a lighter sentence.
He referenced the North York California Sandwich shooting, in which the accused agreed to pay the unintended shooting victim, Louise Russo, $2 million in cash as part of the plea agreement.
Manzo said that while many will not be happy with the predicted sentence, he added that when the incident occurred, many suggested Muzzo wouldn't spend any time behind bars, considering he's the heir to a billion-dollar construction empire.
"Great lawyers can't make miracles," he said. "You can't buy yourself out of something like this."
Muzzo faces 18 charges, including impaired driving causing death.
Greenspan said he was not able to discuss Muzzo's case with the media.
The creator of the Facebook page, Prison 4 Marco Muzzo, responded to a request for comment, explaining the group is calling for life in prison for Muzzo.
"Not $1 billion can take away the pain for the Neville-Lake family," the comment stated. "Nothing will, unless we get justice, which is life in prison."
more....
Looks like plea deal coming in Muzzo case, outside lawyer says
The 29-year-old King resident has been in prison in Lindsay since the late September crash that killed three young children — Harry, Daniel and Millie Neville-Lake and their grandfather, King resident Gary Neville.
It also left two other family members badly injured.
One detail that gives credence to the theory that a deal is in the works is Greenspan's request for Muzzo to appear in person at the Newmarket court Jan. 6, according to criminal lawyer Domenic Manzo.
A further indication, Manzo said, is that Muzzo's legal team has yet to request bail.
"That's a big sign," he told yorkregion.com. "Once a bail hearing is delayed more than once, you start thinking, ‘What's going on?’
Defence will have been waiting to see what kind of case they have against them. If it's a strong case, lots of witnesses and he's on scene when police arrive, then defence might say, ‘Best to plead out'."
He said if this is, indeed, the defence's strategy, then Muzzo will have been, up until now, showing remorse by remaining behind bars.
It will also play to his benefit if he chooses to plead prior to bail ever being sought, because he will get the maximum amount of credit for admitting guilt at the earliest point.
At that point, if the Crown and defence can work out a deal and then present it to a judge at judicial pretrial, he added that Muzzo could be out of prison by 2018.
"I would have expected between eight and 10 years, but I've heard rumours that it's as low as seven," he said.
Manzo added that if the Muzzo family – one of the richest in Canada – puts up a large donation toward a foundation and gives some money to the Neville-Lake family, the sentence could be lowered significantly.
Muzzo could serve as little as two years in a minimum security prison, considering he’s garnering 1-1/2 days worth of credit for each 24 hours he's in prison pre-trial. Furthermore, a prisoner typically serves one third of his sentence in Canada.
Manzo added that there is some precedence in Canadian sentencing where an injection of cash can draw a lighter sentence.
He referenced the North York California Sandwich shooting, in which the accused agreed to pay the unintended shooting victim, Louise Russo, $2 million in cash as part of the plea agreement.
Manzo said that while many will not be happy with the predicted sentence, he added that when the incident occurred, many suggested Muzzo wouldn't spend any time behind bars, considering he's the heir to a billion-dollar construction empire.
"Great lawyers can't make miracles," he said. "You can't buy yourself out of something like this."
Muzzo faces 18 charges, including impaired driving causing death.
Greenspan said he was not able to discuss Muzzo's case with the media.
The creator of the Facebook page, Prison 4 Marco Muzzo, responded to a request for comment, explaining the group is calling for life in prison for Muzzo.
"Not $1 billion can take away the pain for the Neville-Lake family," the comment stated. "Nothing will, unless we get justice, which is life in prison."
more....
Looks like plea deal coming in Muzzo case, outside lawyer says
