Marcella Zoia, aka “Chair Girl,” has pleaded guilty to one count of mischief endangering life.
Zoia ignited outrage in Toronto and across social media globally when she was filmed earlier this year tossing a chair off a downtown condo building balcony at Maple Leaf Square at Lakeshore Blvd. and York St.
The 19-year-old who, at times, has appeared in the media to relish her moment of infamy was originally facing charges of mischief endangering life, mischief involving damage to property and common nuisance.
The maximum penalty for mischief endangering life, is life in prison.
She pleaded guilty only to the first count at a court appearance in downtown Toronto on Friday.
Zoia has been a no-show in court since last February following her first appearance. A viral video showed her heaving a chair over a balcony railing right beside the Gardiner Expressway, hundreds of feet below. Fortunately, the chair fell on a sidewalk. No one was injured.
Lawyer Greg Leslie has handled her few court dates since her first appearance.
Zoia left the court without commenting to the media. She’s due back in court Jan. 14 for sentencing.
According to The Toronto Star, the Crown is asking for a six month jail sentence. Zoia’s lawyer has said his client should receive a suspended sentence with no jail time.
Leslie has acknowledged Zoia had indeed thrown the chair but he has suggested that anyone hearing the background voices in the video would understand how his client’s actions were a response to peer pressure.
He’s also said Zoia was in school training to be a dental hygienist in addition to working in nightclubs providing bottle service to “high-end clientele.”
