Toronto 'Chair Girl' avoids jail time over tossing chair from balcony onto highway

[Ursus]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53494556

A Toronto woman received probation, community service and a fine for throwing a chair from a high-rise balcony onto a highway in 2019.

Marcella Zoia, 20, nicknamed "Chair Girl", had pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief endangering life in November.

Her dangerous prank was caught on camera and posted online, where it was viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

Crown prosecutors had sought up to six months in jail for Zoia.

Her sentencing was delayed numerous times, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic, but was finally delivered on Tuesday via teleconference.

Her lawyer, Gregory Leslie, told journalists in Toronto that the sentence was appropriate and fair and that his client is "ecstatic" the case is over.

He said she had been afraid of being sent to jail and when she heard her punishment "she maybe had a tear or two in her eyes".

The 20-year-old was sentenced to two years on probation, 150 hours of community service, and fined C$2,000 ($1,485; £1,165).

Mr Leslie also noted she is left with an adult criminal record.

He had previously said she had been drinking the night before the incident was filmed and was also under the influence of peer pressure at the time, according to CTV News.

In a video that first appeared on Snapchat, Zoia is seen flinging a chair from a high-rise balcony in February 2019.

The chair appears to hurtle towards the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, one of the busiest highways in the country, and towards a busy sidewalk. There were no injuries.

The video was then uploaded to Facebook, where it went viral and caught the attention of local authorities, who subsequently identified her and charged her with mischief related offences.

The stunt won her some notoriety in the city. Zoia even made a brief appearance in a music video by Canadian rapper Drake, which was cut following an outcry on social media.

Thoughts?

I did not hear about the incident when it initially happened, but I think her lawyer made a very good point when he noted that she is only 20 years old. I myself was 25 before I realized that hurling large objects from great heights onto busy roads was a dangerous thing to do.

[Endus]

No one was hurt. She's still fined, has to do community service, has probation, and a criminal record. So it's not like she isn't being penalized.

This might shock Americans, but Canada isn't as prison-happy as the USA.

[Queen of Hamsters]

My thoughts is that this'll be used on Incel forums as proof that " Stacys rule the world REEEEE!".

But she doesn't get off free from consequences, even if she didn't get prison time. So as a normal person, I say... meh. I knew damned well not to throw shit onto roads when I was old enough to perhaps do so, at the age of 6 or 7...

[Fencers]

Seems appropriate judgment.

This might shock Americans, but Canada isn't as prison-happy as the USA.

Why are you coming at our workforce reckless??

[minteK917]

Whats is there to discuss she got a criminal record for doing something dumb with no victim once. This is about has harsh as first time drunk driving.

[Egomaniac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53494556

Thoughts?

I did not hear about the incident when it initially happened, but I think her lawyer made a very good point when he noted that she is only 20 years old. I myself was 25 before I realized that hurling large objects from great heights onto busy roads was a dangerous thing to do.

This is what happens when a defendant pleads guilty in exchange for leniency. Instead of 6 months in jail she gets 2 years probation, community service, and a fine. Resources that would have been used to prosecute her can instead go to another case.

[Coolthulhu]

I was aware of Canadian law tending towards leniency, but this seems excessive. I wonder what good 150 hours of community service will do. Time will tell I suppose.

[Saltysquidoon]

Noting the principle of general deterrence here, she probably received a harsher sentence then she would have otherwise because of the scrutiny and media attention.

This is what happens when a defendant pleads guilty in exchange for leniency. Instead of 6 months in jail she gets 2 years probation, community service, and a fine. Resources that would have been used to prosecute her can instead go to another case.

It's interesting that Canada only has a common law reductionist principle left to the discretion of the Judge. In other jurisdictions, it's not uncommon for there to be a legislative baseline reduction in sentence in recognition of the utilitarian benefit there is to the system.

[Egomaniac]

I was aware of Canadian law tending towards leniency, but this seems excessive. I wonder what good 150 hours of community service will do. Time will tell I suppose.

What good will prison do? She did something stupid but nobody was hurt and, after this, she's not likely to do it again.

[Polyxo]

I mean, if it was genuine stupidity, without any willful defiance of better advice, I'm fine with it. If they knew it could easily hurt someone or cause serious damage and did it anyway, or didn't know, and were prompted not to, and did it anyway, I'd say the penalty was light.

[Daedius]

She's been charged and has been given an appropriate sentencing, nothing much to say really beyond her being a bloody idiot.

[Coolthulhu]

What good will prison do? She did something stupid but nobody was hurt and, after this, she's not likely to do it again.

Yeah, someone who displays such a blatant disregard for the safety of others is totally unlikely to pull such a stunt again. I'm really sold on that. At least prison would prevent her from harming others for a time, and teach her a harsher, longer-lasting lesson, whereas this way she'll likely feel as if she won a free "stay out of jail card". Which she did.

[Daedius]

Yeah, someone who displays such a blatant disregard for the safety of others is totally unlikely to pull such a stunt again. I'm really sold on that. At least prison would prevent her from harming others for a time, and teach her a harsher, longer-lasting lesson, whereas this way she'll likely feel as if she won a free "stay out of jail card". Which she did.

If she were a repeat offender sure -- not really read up on her, but is this her first offence?

[Coolthulhu]

If she were a repeat offender sure -- not really read up on her, but is this her first offence?

Apparently, but does that really matter? One thing is someone's first offense being something that's not a threat to the life of others, and another thing entirely if it is.

[Egomaniac]

Yeah, someone who displays such a blatant disregard for the safety of others is totally unlikely to pull such a stunt again. I'm really sold on that. At least prison would prevent her from harming others for a time, and teach her a harsher, longer-lasting lesson, whereas this way she'll likely feel as if she won a free "stay out of jail card". Which she did.

Did she? $2000 fine, 150 hours of community service and 2 years probation. If she fucks up during her probation...that probation gets revoked and she goes to jail for the sentence she would have likely received otherwise plus whatever charges apply.

[Unholyground]

I was aware of Canadian law tending towards leniency, but this seems excessive. I wonder what good 150 hours of community service will do. Time will tell I suppose.

My best friend got caught with 2 ounces of weed in his back seat and a pound of hash in his glove box and only ended up having to pay 2800 in fines 2000 in lawyer fees, 400 to the charity of his choice and 1 year probation. They don't tend to put productive members of society in prison as he worked full time and helped provide for his family and all kinds of things.

I think most people learn from shit and are thankful they don't get jail time.

[Coolthulhu]

Did she? $2000 fine, 150 hours of community service and 2 years probation. If she fucks up during her probation...that probation gets revoked and she goes to jail for the sentence she would have likely received otherwise plus whatever charges apply.

Of course she did, she didn't go to jail. But I hope your faith in such a lenient sentence is well placed and she won't pull any other life-threatening stunts. I won't be holding my breath though.

My best friend got caught with 2 ounces of weed in his back seat and a pound of hash in his glove box and only ended up having to pay 2800 in fines 2000 in lawyer fees, 400 to the charity of his choice and 1 year probation. They don't tend to put productive members of society in prison as he worked full time and helped provide for his family and all kinds of things.

I think most people learn from shit and are thankful they don't get jail time.

Your best friend could've been a productive member of society for all I know. 2 ounces of weed and a pound of hash don't strike me as that big of a deal. Getting drunk and throwing a chair towards a trafficked highway whilst filming yourself on snapchat or whatever it was on the other hand? Sorry but no, that doesn't sound like something a productive member of sociey would do.

[Darththeo]

No injuries. So stupid behavior only, so the punishment is fine.

[Endus]

My best friend got caught with 2 ounces of weed in his back seat and a pound of hash in his glove box and only ended up having to pay 2800 in fines 2000 in lawyer fees, 400 to the charity of his choice and 1 year probation. They don't tend to put productive members of society in prison as he worked full time and helped provide for his family and all kinds of things.

I think most people learn from shit and are thankful they don't get jail time.

I mean, when did he get caught? Because I can literally go onto the government website here in Ontario and have them deliver weed to my front door. If it was before legalization, sure, otherwise, the only iffy thing might be the amount he had in the glove box, but they wouldn't have searched for that over just seeing a couple ounces in the back seat.

And I literally don't know the legal limits on what you can carry, just the limits on how much they'll let you order at a time through official channels. It might be fine regardless now, I'm just not gonna be in a position where I'd need to know that limit.

[Nastard]

If you're dumb enough to film yourself potentially killing someone with a senseless stunt, you're probably dumb enough to do it again.