Law360 Canada ( December 5, 2024, 12:28 PM EST) -- Appeal by Crown against Correia's acquittal on two counts of first-degree murder. The charges stemmed from the fatal shootings of MacFarlane and Taylor in their rented residence. The police theorized that the victims were mistakenly killed, as the intended target was a previous tenant involved in gang activities. Correia was arrested and made inculpatory statements during police interrogation. At the trial, the judge ruled the statements as inadmissible under the common law confessions rule, leading to Correia’s acquittal. The trial judge found that the statements were induced by police trickery and Correia’s diminished ability to think clearly, which significantly influenced his decision to speak to the police. The Crown appealed the acquittal, arguing that the trial judge’s finding of police trickery was unsupported by evidence and that the judge failed to apply the correct legal analysis regarding inducement. Additionally, the Crown argued that the trial judge accorded improper weight to the expert evidence related to Correia’s mental state....