3 Toronto Police officers cleared on Wednesday of sexual assault charges are waiting to find out when they are free to return to work.
Constables Sameer Kara, Leslie Nyznik, and Josh Cabero all walked out of a downtown courtroom after a judge found them not guilty.
Superior Justice Anne Molloy says in her ruling that her decision to acquit the constables has nothing to do with how "ethical or admirable" the off-duty cops might or might not have been on that night in January 2015.
The judge adds that it is also not a matter of the officers' story being more credible than that of their accuser.
Justice Molloy tells the court that she found "frailties" in the evidence presented by the complainant (whose identity is protected under a standard media blackout).
"I simply cannot be sure of that important fact to the degree of certainty necessary to make a finding of criminal responsibility," Molloy said.
The judge explained that she was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the complainant's evidence was "credible and reliable" when it came to whether or not there was consent for the sex that happened in the downtown hotel room at the centre of this case.
The 3 cops and their female colleague -- a Toronto parking enforcement officer -- were out on a boozy police "rookie night" bar-hopping trip that included The Brass Rail strip club.
Its an evening-on-the-town that culminated in group sex in a room at the Westin Harbour Castle.
The officers claimed everything that happened was consensual and that it was the complainant who orchestrated it all.
The complainant testified she was so impaired that she could barely move or speak, and that colleagues she trusted violated and took advantage of her despite her efforts to resist.
Justice Molloy pointed to inconsistencies and discrepancies in the complainant's version of events, adding that some of it seemed "implausible."
The judge makes mention of video footage from the hotel lobby that shows the complainant behaving in a way that was "inconsistent" with the impairment she described on the witness stand.
It is now up to Toronto's Police Chief to review the case and decide when the constables can return to work.
The 3 officers were suspended with pay.
This is the conclusion of a controversial case that's raised questions in the community over whether the judgment of Toronto's sworn protectors is reliable.
Toronto's police union leader declined to comment on what's next.
Mayor John Tory says he doesn't typically comment on court cases and rulings, adding only that work is being done to repair public trust that's been damaged, going back to the Toronto Police response to protests and unrest at the 2009 G-20 Summit.