Trespass charge dropped against lawyer arrested at Ford campaign stop in Hamilton

A trespassing charge against a Toronto-based lawyer who was arrested at an Ontario Progressive Conservative campaign stop in Hamilton last May has been withdrawn.

The Crown's office withdrew the charge against Caryma Sa'd at her first appearance in Hamilton provincial offences court Tuesday, citing a low probability of conviction.

The lawyer, who is also known for political commentary and cartoons, was arrested outside a Doug Ford rally at the Hamilton airport May 26. She had an invitation to the event, but was asked to leave and eventually arrested and ticketed under the Trespass to Property Act.

Sa'd told The Spectator she felt vindicated by the withdrawal of charges, but it was also anticlimactic."

It would have been nice to get to the bottom of what happened," she said, calling the whole ordeal an unfortunate use of the justice system."

In court, Sa'd's lawyer James Bowie said it is clear someone at the event decided that Ms. Sa'd should be arrested and removed. It's not clear who that person is."

They had requested through disclosure that the PC party reveal whether someone asked police to trespass Sa'd. Bowie said that request was never answered.

Hamilton police have said previously she was arrested because she refused to leave. Police deferred to the Crown to explain why the charge was withdrawn.

Thinking back to that day, Sa'd said she felt shocked and humiliated by her treatment. She said she went there expecting that she wasn't going to be the favourite guest" but she had an invite so she believed she would get in. Sa'd said she wasn't there as a protester but as a political commentator.

When she was asked to leave it wasn't her intention to escalate the situation - she did not understand the next step was going to see her handcuffed, she said.

Sa'd said her arrest, in front of protesters who were gathered outside the airport, felt performative." She was put in the back of a police cruiser, only to be driven a short distance away and let out after about half an hour with a $65 ticket.

Part of me felt I was used to make an example," she said.

Sa'd said despite the charge now being withdrawn, the damage is done" because family, clients and others saw her being arrested without knowing why or who was behind it. She believes her treatment is a small example of wider issues of political interference and misuse of institutions.

She is looking at other legal options, including a possible Charter application.

Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com