A 31-year-old Yorkton man facing a number of marijuana and hydromorphone trafficking charges has been released on $1,000 bail.
Matthew Thompson appeared in Yorkton court by video Tuesday morning from Regina Correctional Centre for a reverse onus hearing for his release.
On September 4, the Crown, represented by Shane Wagner had opposed Thompson's release on the grounds that when he was arrested for trafficking September 3, he was already on a conditional release on similar charges.
On Tuesday, defence attorney Richard Yaholnitsky argued that Thompson was eligible for and had agreed to electronic monitoring and therefore his release would not be contrary to public safety, the secondary grounds for denying bail.
Yaholnitsky also outlined that the accused man's mother and stepfather were willing to have him in their home and that he had agreed to the strictest of conditions including a 24-hour curfew.
The defence also called into question the strength of the prosecutor's case for trafficking anticipating Wagner would bring up the tertiary grounds for detention with respect to the seriousness of the charges.
Wagner outlined the circumstances of the case-which cannot be published here due to a publication ban on evidence presented at a bail hearing-as background for the Court.
The prosecutor opposed the release, arguing that Thompson's detention was justified on all three grounds, particularly the secondary grounds that the defendant had demonstrated a clear pattern of not respecting court-imposed conditions and reoffending.
Judge Ross Green, however, was satisfied that given the proposed conditions Thompson's continued detention was unjustified.
In addition to statutory conditions the accused will have to live at the approved address, wear an electronic monitoring device, observe a 24-hour curfew, abstain from alcohol and drugs, present himself without warrant to police, provide breath samples if requested and participate in addictions assessment and treatment as directed by probation services.
