A Superior Court judge has ordered portions of a police document that could shed light on links between the mayor and a criminal investigation released without delay.

On Wednesday, Justice Ian Nordheimer said he sees no reason to notify any other parties ahead of the release of a document used to get a search warrant. He ordered sections of the nearly 500-page document that are not subject to debate between the Crown and lawyers for the Star and other media outlets to be made public.

The Crown said he could have the document ready for release Thursday.

The sections to be made public form the “essential narrative” of a criminal police investigation, the Crown told the court Wednesday, that led to the arrest of Alexander Lisi - a friend and occasional driver of Ford, who the mayor called a “good guy.”

What will not be released and is subject to further legal arguments is the portions of the document that the Crown says is not “essential” to the criminal investigation.

That section, the Crown said, identifies what he called “innocent parties” - people who were not arrested as part of the investigation.

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The Star's lawyer Ryder Gilliland argued Wednesday that there should be no distinction between what the Crown considers “essential” or not - and that the public deserves to see both.

Gilliland told Nordheimer there is an “overwhelming public interest” in the information contained in the document. The information, Gilliland said, regardless of what the Crown says is “essential” was used by the police to get a search warrant.

“A sealing order right now offends the public interest,” Gilliand said. “There's a real problem with what the Crown has undertaken conceptually.”

That information should presumptively be open and available for public scrutiny, Gilliand argued.

There is a third category of information, such as what came from confidential informants, that is blacked out and which media lawyers are not arguing should be released.

An issue that could have delayed the release of the document is whether so-called “innocent parties” should be given notice of the proceeding to make arguments about what should be released or published.

Nordheimer agreed with Gilliland, who argued that there can not be a “two-tiered justice system” where certain people are notified of the court proceeding - namely people with status who have reputations to protect.

“Where do you draw the line?” Nordheimer asked the Crown, adding it would be “inappropriate” to provide notice based on position.

In the end, Nordheimer said he sees no “principle basis” to notify anyone. To do so would open up a “Pandora's box of issues,” he said.

Lisi was arrested Oct. 1 and charged with trafficking marijuana, possession of the proceeds of crime, possession of marijuana and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

The Star earlier reported that Lisi’s attempts to recover a stolen cellphone belonging to an “associate” sparked a probe dubbed Project Brazen 2, according to an internal police document.

Two sources have told the Star Ford lost his cellphone around that time, and one source said the “associate” is Ford.

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The investigation was a spinoff of Project Traveller — a large guns and gangs sweep focused in the northwest Dixon Rd. area — which has multiple links to Ford.

A now infamous photo shows Ford posing with three men — two of whom were arrested during the raids and one who was killed outside a King St. nightclub in March.

Two Star reporters also watched, in a car outside the Dixon Rd. condo complex, a video that appears to show Ford smoking crack cocaine.

The Star has reported sources saying Ford told his staff the video could be found at that complex.

Ford has denied the video exists and told a press conference he does not smoke crack.

At city hall today, Ford refused to say whether he is concerned about the impending release of the document, whether he believes he is in it, whether he has been briefed on the issue, or whether he has spoken with Lisi.

“I cannot comment on anything before the courts,” he said repeatedly.

As he walked away, he also refused to comment about the city’s plan to increase garbage rates. “You guys had your chance,” he told reporters.

Following his arrest, Ford called Lisi — who has occasionally driven for the mayor — a friend and “good guy.” Ford also wrote Lisi a letter of support in his June court sentencing for uttering death threats.

When asked Tuesday during a media scrum at City Hall whether he is concerned about the search warrant document’s release, Ford told reporters: “I don’t have any comment on that.”

A team of top homicide investigators have been investigating Lisi and at least one other person, dry cleaner Jamshid Bahrami, as part of Project Brazen 2.

Police Chief Bill Blair has repeatedly refused to say if the mayor is under investigation, saying the appropriate arena for any information to be released is in court.

At a speech at the Canadian Club of Toronto on Monday, Blair reiterated those comments when he raised the topic of Project Traveller, among other issues.

“We will pursue every avenue of investigation that is required to do our jobs and to uphold the law . . . That will be done without fear and without favour,” Blair said. “But the evidence we gather is only evidence to be placed before the courts. And in this case, that is what we have done.”

- With files from Daniel Dale