More than a year after Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., MPP Chris Scott was charged with two counts of assault, the case was dropped Wednesday.
Crown prosecutor Katherine Rogozinski told Justice Martin Lambert that the charges against Scott (whose legal name is Van Scott) had been dropped.
The Crown said the MPP had undertaken extensive counselling related to anger management and intimate partner violence, adding that his clean record prior to the incident was grounds for the charges to be dropped.
Rogozinski also said charges against the MPP’s wife in Toronto had also been dropped Oct. 28.
Defence counsel Michael Lacy said that Scott “was not going to plead guilty to those charges at any point.”
Scott was charged for an alleged incident on Sept. 19, 2025. Court documents specified the charges were being treated as alleged intimate partner violence and the weapon allegedly used was a high chair.
“These charges were not withdrawn because of a legal technicality, an expired time limit, or because evidence was excluded,” Scott said in a statement Wednesday.
“I did not accept a deal or agree to anything that would compromise my position. I maintained my innocence throughout, and I am grateful that I can finally put this matter behind me.”
Premier Doug Ford told CTV News Wednesday that Scott won’t be returning to the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.
Scott was removed from caucus when the charges were laid in 2025.
With files from The Canadian Press
