G20 organizer, Kelly Pflug-Back, was released from jail on Thursday August 12, 2010 under an $80,000 recognizance. She was released into the custody of her parents and ordered to live under house arrest at their home in Norwood Ontario.
Kelly Pflug-Back faces a total of 13 charges in her alleged role as an organizer and for her participation in the G20 Summit protests that took place in Toronto in late June, 2010. This includes eight counts of mischief over $5000, one count of conspiracy, one count of obstruction, one count of intimidation of a justice official, one count of wearing a disguise and one count of failure to comply.
Her terms of release are similar to that of Leah Henderson and include house arrest, no use of Facebook, and no association with other activists involved in the Guelph activist group Sense of Security (SOS), with the exception of her fiancé, whom she can see in the presence of one of her parents.
Toronto Police Detective Sergeant Gary Giroux said it was "disappointing" Ms. Pflug-Back was released, but her strict bail conditions will ensure police can keep tabs on her.
"Our obligation is to prevent her from committing offences in the future and I think if she complies with bail, there won't be any further offences committed," he said.
In contrast to the police portrayal, her supporters say she has made significant contributions to her community through her local organizing.
Pflug-Back had previously been arrested on conspiracy charges related to the G20 protests and released on bail. But she turned herself in to police on July 21, 2010 just hours after Toronto police announced she was wanted on six charges of mischief over $5,000 at a news conference and placed her on a G20 Most Wanted list.
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The evidence presented at Pflug-Back's bail hearing is covered by a publication ban.
Pflug-Back will appear again in court on August 23, 2010.
"Our obligation is to prevent her from committing offences in the future and I think if she complies with bail, there won't be any further offences committed," he said.
There was a time, long ago it now seems, when the police understood that their role was finished, once the Crown had laid charges and a case was before the courts.
The police are not a party to court proceedings, and their sole function is to present the evidence they have and let the courts decide – not to act as partisan boosters of either the prosecution or the defence. Even the prosecuting attorneys themselves are supposed to behave impartially, for chrissakes, let alone the goddam cops! It is quite improper for police spokespersons to make public statements of approval or "disappointment" over decisions made by the courts; they don't get to judge the judges.
Not only that, the police have no "obligation" whatsoever to prevent anyone from committing offences in the future, unless we are now living in a Minority Report dystopia.
When Giroux can get away with that kind of talk, you know the cops are out of control.