R. v. Mars (M.), (2006) 206 O.A.C. 387 (CA)

JudgeDoherty, Sharpe and Juriansz, JJ.A.
CourtCourt of Appeal (Ontario)
Case DateJanuary 13, 2006
JurisdictionOntario
Citations(2006), 206 O.A.C. 387 (CA)

R. v. Mars (M.) (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387 (CA)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2006] O.A.C. TBEd. FE.036

Her Majesty the Queen (respondent) v. Michael Mars (appellant)

(C43161)

Indexed As: R. v. Mars (M.)

Ontario Court of Appeal

Doherty, Sharpe and Juriansz, JJ.A.

February 9, 2006.

Summary:

The accused appealed his convictions for offences arising out of a home invasion robbery.

The Ontario Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, quashed the convictions and entered acquittals.

Criminal Law - Topic 5241

Evidence and witnesses - Identification - Eyewitness identification - The accused appealed his convictions for offences arising out of a home invasion robbery - The only evidence connecting the accused to the robbery was his fingerprint found on a pizza box used as part of a ruse to gain entry to the victims' apartment - The trial judge observed that neither victim (Ruck and Duncan) could identify any of the robbers and that the neighbour's evidence did not "identify or eliminate the accused as one of the offenders" - The Ontario Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, quashed the convictions and entered acquittals - The trial judge's description of the identification evidence understated its exculpatory nature - Not only could neither victim identify the accused as one of the robbers, but their evidence effectively excluded the possibility that he was either the unmasked "floater" or the masked robber who attacked Ruck - This left only the masked robber who attacked Duncan and a getaway driver who might or might not have existed - Duncan's very general description of her attacker could not inculpate the accused - See paragraphs 25 to 27.

Criminal Law - Topic 5254.6

Evidence and witnesses - Identification - Fingerprints - The accused appealed his convictions for offences arising out of a home invasion robbery - The only evidence connecting the accused to the robbery was his fingerprint found on a pizza box used as part of a ruse to gain entry to the victims' apartment - The trial judge held that fingerprint evidence was highly inculpatory evidence - The Ontario Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, quashed the convictions and entered acquittals - The probative value of fingerprint evidence depended on the totality of the evidence - Fingerprint evidence almost always afforded cogent evidence that the person whose fingerprint was left on the object touched that object - However, the ability of the fingerprint evidence to connect an accused to the crime charged depended on whether there was other evidence capable of establishing that the accused touched the object at the relevant time and place so as to connect the accused to the crime - The evidence did not reasonably permit the conclusion that the accused placed his fingerprint on the pizza box at the time of the robbery - There was no evidence that assisted as to when the fingerprint was placed on the box - See paragraphs 18 to 24.

Evidence - Topic 1391

Relevant facts - Relevance and materiality - Identity - Fingerprints - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5254.6 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Biniaris (J.), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 381; 252 N.R. 204; 134 B.C.A.C. 161; 219 W.A.C. 161; 143 C.C.C.(3d) 1, refd to. [para. 3].

R. v. MacFadden (1981), 60 C.C.C.(2d) 305 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

R. v. Lepage (J.P.), [1995] 1 S.C.R. 654; 178 N.R. 81; 79 O.A.C. 191; 95 C.C.C.(3d) 385, refd to. [para. 23].

Counsel:

Vincenzo Rondinelli, for the appellant;

Tracy Stapleton, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on January 13, 2006, by Doherty, Sharpe and Juriansz, JJ.A., of the Ontario Court of Appeal. The following decision of the Court of Appeal was delivered by Doherty, J.A., on February 9, 2006.

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17 practice notes
  • R. v. O'Brien (M.D.), (2010) 293 N.S.R.(2d) 78 (CA)
    • Canada
    • Nova Scotia Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • July 14, 2010
    ...107 O.A.C. 15; 123 C.C.C.(3d) 1 (C.A.), affd. [1999] 3 S.C.R. 866; 250 N.R. 98; 129 O.A.C. 283, refd to. [para. 18]. R. v. Mars (M.) (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387; 205 C.C.C.(3d) 376 (C.A.), refd to. [para. R. v. D.D.T. (2009), 257 O.A.C. 258; 2009 ONCA 918, refd to. [para. 20]. R. v. Samuels (S.R......
  • R v Metzger,
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court (Canada)
    • March 3, 2023
    ...2 S.C.R. 59; R. v. Noble, [1997] 1 S.C.R. 874; R. v. Brunelle, 2022 SCC 5; R. v. Beaudry, 2007 SCC 5, [2007] 1 S.C.R. 190; R. v. Mars (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387; R. v. Nicholl (2004), 190 C.C.C. (3d) 549; R. v. Grayston, 2016 ONCA 784; R. v. Ahmed, 2015 ONCA 848; R. v. Stjepanovic, 2006 BCCA 16......
  • R. v. O'Brien (M.D.), (2011) 304 N.S.R.(2d) 383 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Canada (Federal) Supreme Court (Canada)
    • June 9, 2011
    ...to. [para. 33]. R. v. Van (D.), [2009] 1 S.C.R. 716; 388 N.R. 200; 251 O.A.C. 295; 2009 SCC 22, refd to. [para. 33]. R. v. Mars (M.) (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387; 205 C.C.C.(3d) 376 (C.A.), refd to. [para. R. v. D.D.T. (2009), 257 O.A.C. 258; 2009 ONCA 918, refd to. [para. 39]. R. v. Samuels (S.R......
  • R. v. O'Brien (M.D.), (2011) 417 N.R. 52 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Canada (Federal) Supreme Court (Canada)
    • June 9, 2011
    ...to. [para. 33]. R. v. Van (D.), [2009] 1 S.C.R. 716; 388 N.R. 200; 251 O.A.C. 295; 2009 SCC 22, refd to. [para. 33]. R. v. Mars (M.) (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387; 205 C.C.C.(3d) 376 (C.A.), refd to. [para. R. v. D.D.T. (2009), 257 O.A.C. 258; 2009 ONCA 918, refd to. [para. 39]. R. v. Samuels (S.R......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
17 cases
  • R. v. O'Brien (M.D.), (2010) 293 N.S.R.(2d) 78 (CA)
    • Canada
    • Nova Scotia Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • July 14, 2010
    ...107 O.A.C. 15; 123 C.C.C.(3d) 1 (C.A.), affd. [1999] 3 S.C.R. 866; 250 N.R. 98; 129 O.A.C. 283, refd to. [para. 18]. R. v. Mars (M.) (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387; 205 C.C.C.(3d) 376 (C.A.), refd to. [para. R. v. D.D.T. (2009), 257 O.A.C. 258; 2009 ONCA 918, refd to. [para. 20]. R. v. Samuels (S.R......
  • R v Metzger,
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court (Canada)
    • March 3, 2023
    ...2 S.C.R. 59; R. v. Noble, [1997] 1 S.C.R. 874; R. v. Brunelle, 2022 SCC 5; R. v. Beaudry, 2007 SCC 5, [2007] 1 S.C.R. 190; R. v. Mars (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387; R. v. Nicholl (2004), 190 C.C.C. (3d) 549; R. v. Grayston, 2016 ONCA 784; R. v. Ahmed, 2015 ONCA 848; R. v. Stjepanovic, 2006 BCCA 16......
  • R. v. O'Brien (M.D.), (2011) 304 N.S.R.(2d) 383 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Canada (Federal) Supreme Court (Canada)
    • June 9, 2011
    ...to. [para. 33]. R. v. Van (D.), [2009] 1 S.C.R. 716; 388 N.R. 200; 251 O.A.C. 295; 2009 SCC 22, refd to. [para. 33]. R. v. Mars (M.) (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387; 205 C.C.C.(3d) 376 (C.A.), refd to. [para. R. v. D.D.T. (2009), 257 O.A.C. 258; 2009 ONCA 918, refd to. [para. 39]. R. v. Samuels (S.R......
  • R. v. O'Brien (M.D.), (2011) 417 N.R. 52 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Canada (Federal) Supreme Court (Canada)
    • June 9, 2011
    ...to. [para. 33]. R. v. Van (D.), [2009] 1 S.C.R. 716; 388 N.R. 200; 251 O.A.C. 295; 2009 SCC 22, refd to. [para. 33]. R. v. Mars (M.) (2006), 206 O.A.C. 387; 205 C.C.C.(3d) 376 (C.A.), refd to. [para. R. v. D.D.T. (2009), 257 O.A.C. 258; 2009 ONCA 918, refd to. [para. 39]. R. v. Samuels (S.R......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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