Criminal Defence Law Blog
Here’s an idea. Let’s reserve the blunt instrument of the criminal justice system for serious and violent offences worthy of a jail sentence. That would help court delays and backlogs.
Effort comes in response to Supreme Court ruling setting strict time limits for criminal trials
Source: Nova Scotia to offer plea bargains on minor cases to make way for criminal trials
PLAY CAREFULLY OUT THERE – You never know who you’re chatting with if you haven’t met him/her in person.
Some 748 people lost more than $17 million last year in online dating scams, police say.
Source: RCMP warn of online dating scams after Canadians lose $17 million in 2016 | Toronto Star
I’m certainly not opposed to well thought out and skillfully negotiated pleas of guilty and joint submissions as to sentence however almost every person charged with this offence goes through that social stigmatization of shame but in addition this officer “flagrantly abused the trust placed in him as a public officer” and defrauded his employer. By not pleading to a child pornography charge he avoids a 1 year mandatory minimum jail sentence and avoids being registered as a sex offender for 20 years.
Former detective Craig Wattier pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000 and breach of trust.
Source: Peel cop billed for overtime while watching child porn videos | Toronto Star
MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES – Finally there is hope that balance will be returned to the system by restoring a Judge’s discretion to consider the particular circumstances of the offence and the offender.
The federal justice minister says the work has already begun to eliminate many of the Criminal Code’s mandatory minimum sentences.
Source: Liberals looking to eliminate many mandatory minimum sentences, justice minister says
Let us not jump to a knee-jerk conclusion that every allegation made to the police is true. Police screening is the first step of the criminal justice process. A police officer has to have reasonable grounds to believe an offence was committed before laying a charge. If a complaint is not believable, for whatever reason, the obligation of the police is to not act on it.
Ralph Goodale made the request on Tuesday, as three major police forces launched reviews into their handling of sexual-assault complaints
Source: Public Safety Minister Goodale calls for review of sexual-assault cases across Canada
I’ll give credit once so I don’t have to do it every time. Check out mugdom.com. They have a lot of amusing mugs.
Nationally, 1 in 5 cases of sexual assault is dismissed as unfounded – how police describe what they deem as baseless accusations – with rates varying drastically depending on where you live
Source: Will police believe you? Find your region’s unfounded sex assault rate – The Globe and Mail
I know there are all sorts of commentaries out there about what’s going on but this is an interesting, thoughtful analysis I found of interest. For example “These executive orders are nothing more than cheap political theatre. They are certainly not based on evidence. What they do is successfully divide the public through fear and incitement.”
Donald Trump’s executive orders are nothing more than cheap political theatre – they are certainly not based on evidence
Source: We need more facts, less extreme vetting – The Globe and Mail
“An officer who conducts him or herself reasonably has nothing to fear from an audio, video or photographic record of his interaction with the public,” wrote the hearing officer, York police Supt. Graeme Turl, in his decision finding the pair guilty of misconduct.
Two York police officers were found guilty of misconduct for charging a 17-year-old who was filming them.
Source: York Region cops appeal guilty verdicts over video incident | Toronto Star
