By Bre McAdam

Adrian Charles appeals drug and gun conviction, sentence

Nov 20, 2014 | 1:16 PM

A former running back for the Saskatoon Hilltops is allowed to live with his mother in Ontario while he appeals his conviction and three-year sentence.

Adrian Jerome Charles, 28, was found guilty of drug and gun charges in April. He was arrested and charged in 2008 after police found a loaded handgun and cocaine in his car during a search near Midtown Plaza. Charles was living and playing football in Saskatoon at the time.
 
Last month, he was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of three years in prison for being an occupant of a motor vehicle knowing there was a firearm inside, possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of cocaine.
 
This was his second trial on those charges. Charles was acquitted after his first trial in 2011, but the Crown successfully appealed the decision and a new trial was ordered in 2013.
 
Charles filed an appeal shortly after and asked to be released from custody until a decision on his appeal is made. The Crown argued that it would be in the public interest to keep Charles in custody considering the gravity of crimes involving guns and drugs.
 
But the appeal judge noted that Charles has been out of custody during his six years in the Saskatchewan judicial system and has had no issues since he was charged. He also cited Charles’ strong family support and guaranteed employment as factors in allowing for his temporary release.
 
“The situation of Mr. Charles and his post-charge conduct lead me to the view that Mr. Charles’s release, pending determination of his appeal, is not against the public interest,” Justice Peter Whitmore wrote in his decision.
 
The likelihood of a successful appeal does not play a role in whether or not someone receives an interim release, the decision reads. Rather, Charles was only required to prove that his appeal “is not frivolous.”
 
Charles was released on $2,500 cash bail. He currently lives in Whitby, Ont. with his mother, who has agreed to ensure her son complies with his release conditions. Those conditions include having a curfew of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and surrendering himself into custody if his appeal is denied.

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