The long-delayed Basi-Virk/BC Legislature Raid case has once again gone a week without any evidence presented to the jury.
Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie dismissed both the jury and witness Martyn Brown, Premier Gordon Campbell's Chief of Staff, until Monday June 28 at 11:15 a.m. due to the need to hear legal arguments that cannot be reported because of a publication ban.
When Brown was last on the witness stand lawyer Michael Bolton, representing David Basi, asked Brown if he knew that RCMP Inspector Kevin DeBruyckere was the brother-in-law of BC Liberal Party Executive Director Kellly Reichert.
Special Prosecutor Bill Berardino objected to that question before Brown could answer and the cross examination was suspended at that point.
MacKenzie also informed the jury on Wednesday that two jurors had been approached by a man who spoke to them about the case at a SkyTrain station on June 16.
That man, MacKenzie told the jury, is the father of one of the three Special Prosecutors in the case.
MacKenzie instructed the jurors to not draw any negative inferences from the incident.
The trial resumes on Monday June 28 but at 11:15 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. in order to accomodate a juror who is taking a work-related educational course.
The trial will sit from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. without a break and again from 2 to 4:30 p.m. until July 7, when it will be suspended until late August. The court does not sit on July 1 - Canada Day.
The trial is expected to continue until March of 2011.
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11 comments:
Hell Bill at the rate this trial (apparently still in discovery) is going it will probably go well into 2013. Past the next election.
A late developement. The jury won't be sitting until Tuesday at 11:15am. Monday, court resumes at10am and will be preoccupied with more legal wrangling without the jury present.
why the hell do they need a summer break?!!
what kind of joke is this trial becoming and how much is it costing?
Another good example of tax payer money being wasted by Gordon Campbell. If he had left BC Rail alone, none of this would be happening !
Thanks
JW
Associate Chief Justice Mackenzie has a duty to instill public confidence in the administration of justice. Her handling of the Father of one of the Special Prosecutor's approaching jury members must be fair and should not simply be swept under the rug. The public need to know that they reason why the approach to the jury was made, and that an example must be set so other attempts at approaching jurors will be met with swift punishment.
Any instructions to a jury are under scrutiny by the lawyers to ensure the fairness of the trial. I wonder if the Special Prosecutor has set up a mistrial or grounds for appeal.
I am considering writing to the RCMP to force them to conduct a full and detailed investigation about the contact with the jury members.
"I am considering writing to the RCMP to force them to conduct a full and detailed investigation about the contact with the jury members."
Why 'consider" doing that? Just do it.
Let us know what happens and if it is so be that the RCMP will not proceed with your wishes, don't whine and complain. They will give reasons for not doing so.
"I am considering writing to the RCMP to force them to conduct a full and detailed investigation about the contact with the jury members"
Good luck with that, you better do the investigation AND provide them with the IRREFUTABLE evidence or they will merely laugh at you.....after all there are people in custody to abuse and folks to taser and drinking and driving to be done.......with the free pass badge.
By the way, I keep hearing about the new sub-minimum alcohol levels (.05 bringing a summary instant fine, tow and 3 day suspension) - wouldn't they have to have a fall sitting to enact a law to cover this? - and would it stand up to a charter challenge? - I mean this makes an officer at the roadside an one stop justice/vigilante dispenser - making the charge, finding guilt and doing sentencing all on the spot.
If only the BC Rail Trial could be expedited thusly.......
My verification word was awesome
"zingoo"
By the way, I keep hearing about the new sub-minimum alcohol levels (.05 bringing a summary instant fine, tow and 3 day suspension) - wouldn't they have to have a fall sitting to enact a law to cover this? - and would it stand up to a charter challenge?
The amendments have already been passed, and yes some idiot lawyer will go *kaching* and try to bag
a case to earn money. No sense in
thinking public safety and the idiocy of having one too many Molsons is there?
- I mean this makes an officer at the roadside an one stop justice/vigilante dispenser - making the charge, finding guilt and doing sentencing all on the spot.
They don't sentence, it is a violation ticket, and there has been a public awareness programme if you haven't been paying attention.
I'm all for it. Sheesh, people. You rag on us about Photo Radar and rag on the BC Liberals over this.
How about taking responsibility for once. Pay attention:
If you drink responsibly and don't drink and drive, you won't be a safety problem on the road, and no little girl will end up as a grille ornament.
I'm just waiting for the lady drunk driver who killed the little girl to walk free because her idiot lawyer found a loophole. He's perfectly legal to defend her but some of these defences are a bit much.
If you're going to whine about the new laws, whine in front of those who have been affected by the antics of drunk drivers.
"By the way, I keep hearing about the new sub-minimum alcohol levels (.05 bringing a summary instant fine, tow and 3 day suspension) - wouldn't they have to have a fall sitting to enact a law to cover this? "
It was passed during the Spring Session. Hate to break it to you, but even our MLAs here in the NDP are supportive of it.
Why aren't you? Oh right yea, there's the right to be a safety hazard on the roads because you want the right to get sauced over too many Molsons.
"I'm just waiting for the lady drunk driver who killed the little girl to walk free because her idiot lawyer found a loophole. He's perfectly legal to defend her but some of these defences are a bit much."
I bet that lady wishes she was Monty Robinson! He got the crown itself to find the loophole......but then he's a cop, and they always have a reason/excuse/free pass when they kill somebody. At least he hasn't killed anyone this year, as far as I know......
The BC Rail corruption trial, is laughable. Brown seems to be brain dead. There are two chances of getting Campbell to testify, a fat one and a slim one. The three patsies, will take the fall, even if Campbell was the criminal who sold it, being totally fraudulent. How in the hell could Campbell sell the BCR, and not know the terms? This province is corrupt to the core. However, corruption pays very well. There will be no honest judging, the RCMP are corrupt, newspapers can no longer give Campbell bad press, the TV media, is gagged. Campbell has to control all, or the citizens will lynch him, when all of Campbell's corruption, comes to light, and he knows it.
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