THE JUDGE WHO WILL SENTENCE MARCO MUZZO
Judge Michelle Fuerst has been described as ‘appeal proof’ and balanced
Who is Judge Michelle Fuerst, the judge who will sentence Marco Muzzo?
Prior to her appointment to the Superior Court of Justice in 2002, she practiced criminal law and was a partner at Gold & Fuerst, with wellknown defence lawyer Alan Gold.
Presiding in Newmarket, she has been the senior regional judge for Ontario’s central east region since 2013.
She is a past president of both the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario) and the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, as well as a co-author on numerous legal publications, including the Annotated Tremeear’s Criminal Code and the third edition of the Law of Evidence in Canada.
Notable trials over which she presided include the murder trial of former Toronto police officer Richard Wills, convicted in 2007 for bludgeoning and strangling his mistress, Lavinia (Linda) Mariani.
Wills often interrupted proceedings by belching or loudly passing gas, and once reached into his pants and pulled out feces in the courtroom.
Fuerst would occasionally confine him to what was known as the “rubber room,” where he could watch proceedings via video.
“She’s a very well-respected jurist and has been described as appeal proof,” said lawyer Daniel Brown.
“It may be that the lawyers in this case specifically chose Justice Fuerst because of her balanced reputation and because they know that whatever judgment she renders is likely not going to be appealed to a higher court.”