A final submission was made by the Law Society of Ontario in an interlocutory suspension/restriction hearing held by the Law Society Tribunal in the case against Quinte area lawyer Gregory Edward Brant Castellano.
The LSO is looking at suspending and/or restricting the licence of Castellano based on what they believe are reasonable grounds that there is a significant risk of harm to members of the public, or to the public interest in the administration of justice.
They include, but are not limited to, failing to report criminal charges of “drugging and sexually assaulting a member of the public” to the Law Society as well as not maintaining books and records in compliance with financial requirements.
Before final submissions began, Castellano made a request to have the hearing adjourned and moved to a future date citing illness.
Attorney Shannon McDunnough said that if the hearing were to be moved, Castellano be put in a temporary interlocutory suspension until the next hearing due to the nature of the notice of motion.
After deliberations, the panel overseeing the hearing denied having the hearing adjourned citing a lack of evidence of sickness and that there was no justification.
The panel offered to put Castellano in temporary interlocutory suspension in order to move the next hearing date, which Castellano declined.
In her final submission, McDunnough said given the nature of the charges laid against Castellano including sexual assault, sexual assault causing bodily harm, uttering a threat to drug and sodomize, and administering a destructive or noxious substance charge, it poses a harm to the public, to the public confidence and to the administration of justice.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
McDunnough also said that Castellano did not display integrity by failing to report the criminal charges to the tribunal nor by informing clients that a laptop containing their clients’ information was seized as part of the criminal investigation into Castellano.
She also argued that Castellano didn’t request assistance from the tribunal when it came to retrieving the laptop nor assist in the tribunal’s investigation.
McDunnough concluded by calling for an interlocutory suspension of Castellano.
Castellano began part of his submission denying the allegations laid against him and speaking about his interactions with his clients before the hearing adjourned.
The hearing will continue on January 17 to conclude the rest of Castellano’s submission.
