Guilty plea a shock: Lawyer

Not true in cat case

by Sam Pazzano, Courts Bureau, Toronto Sun, April 11, 2003

News of the guilty plea of the third man seen in a notorious videotape of a cat being tortured and killed is a little premature, his surprised lawyer told The Sun yesterday.

"I nearly drove off the road when I heard the news," said defence lawyer Daniel Brodsky in an interview yesterday. "I'm hearing on my car radio that my client pleaded guilty and his lawyer agreed, and what crossed my mind was, 'What lawyer?' because it certainly wasn't me.

Brodsky represents Matthew Kaczorowski, who appeared in court via a video hookup from Toronto Don Jail. He said his client "is very sorry for what happened -- and wants to get it resolved whether we get there via a trial or a plea.

"I haven't received an offer for my client yet," said Brodsky, who is in negotiations with prosecutor Robin Flumerfelt.

"And even if we get the offer, we're still awaiting the Court of Appeal hearing and decision on May 28 for my client's co-accused. That court will set the range of sentence for this type of crime."

Kaczorowski couldn't plead guilty via video appearance "because there's no jurisdiction for it," Brodsky said.