An expected bail hearing for the man charged with the murder of 22-year-old Taylor Marshall has been pushed back another five weeks as a new defence lawyer has taken on his case.
Andrew Furgiuele of Toronto-based Furgiuele Law appeared remotely in video remand court in the Ontario Court of Justice on Thursday, telling the court he has taken over both the murder charge and an attempted murder charge against Steven Jones from the lawyer previously retained, Bruce Willson.
Jones is facing two separate charges: one for the murder of 22-year-old Taylor Marshall and another for the attempted murder of a man on Sault Ste. Marie’s boardwalk.
The allegations against Jones have not been tested in court, and he is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
Furgiuele Law is a firm known for work in complex trials. Its website highlights a case in which lawyers were able to successfully argue an accused was not criminally responsible in a stabbing death due to schizophrenia (R v Worrie, 2022). The site also lists other cases that ended in acquittals or overturned convictions.
By request of the Crown on Thursday, the two charges against Jones have been joined into a single file.
Jones did not appear by video during Thursday’s session of video remand court.
Furgiuele asked Justice of the Peace Jill Morris for the hearing to be put over while he reviews the disclosure documents provided by the Crown.
Morris asked Furgiuele if he intends to apply for bail for Jones.
“No," he replied. "First of all, with the first-degree murder charge there can’t be a bail hearing in your worship’s court."
Jones is entitled to a bail hearing for the attempted murder charge in which the Crown will need to provide a justice with reasons he should be denied a release.
In regards to the murder charge, that matter calls for automatic detention with a reverse onus on the defence to prove why he should not continue to be detained. That application would have to be heard in Superior Court.
If he does make an application for bail on Jones’ behalf, Furgiuele noted it would be in Superior Court.
Because of that, Morris said Jones’ liberty is not being compromised while Furgiuele acquaints himself with the case files and granted the hearing to be put over five weeks from now to Nov. 23 in video remand court.
A publication ban on the previous two files has been transferred to the new single file, which includes both counts.