Man charged following disturbance inside Kitchener courthouse

A man has been charged with forcible confinement after Waterloo Regional Police were called to investigate a disturbance that took place inside the Kitchener courthouse.

James Ziegler, 72, was charged in relation to the incident that is alleged to have taken place April 19.

There is a Justice of the Peace with the same name in the Ontario Court of Justice, West Region.

A spokesperson for the Ontario Court of Justice confirmed that Ziegler is currently unassigned from judicial duties.

According to the Ontario Court of Justice website, Justices of the Peace have jurisdiction when it comes to provincial offenses, bail hearings, and search warrants.

The name of the victim, who CTV News is not identifying, also matches that of another Justice of the Peace.

Regional Police say on April 22, officers responded to a reported incident that had happened in mid-April at the Ontario Court of Justice on Frederick Street in Kitchener.

Court documents list a number of conditions for Ziegler including that he must not communicate directly or indirectly with the victim, not go within 100 metres of anywhere the victim may be, and cannot attend the courthouse except for his own case.

Ziegler was permitted one pre-approved visit to his office at the courthouse to obtain personal belongings, in the presence of a Waterloo Regional Police officer.

Ziegler’s case was briefly addressed in court on May 16. It is scheduled to return on June 6.