It's not like we've been waiting long for this trial - just since December 28, 2003 - when the unprecedented police raid of the BC Legislature took place! But we'll once again have to wait another 2 weeks - Justice Anne MacKenzie told the jury today that due to the illness of two jurors and accused David Basi and now scheduling issues, the trial will be adjourned until October 12.
I was unable to attend today's non-session of court - honestly, what's the point? - but my colleague Neal Hall of the Vancouver Sun did and filed a report on the latest unfortunate developments.
The cross-examination of ex-BC Rail Board director Brian Kenning has not been completed, so presumably he will be on the witness stand whent he trial resumes.
The only possible good news - with any luck this break will give me enough time to get rid of the Harmonized Sales Tax by then!
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24 comments:
Seven freakin' years. What a joke this province is!
The key point today was that the Special Prosecutor will be dropping witnesses - I wonder who will get the axe off the list?
If I was called as a witness in a serious criminal trial in British Columbia could I please be excused to go to a birthday party in Ontario? Please..........
It
Don't know 'bout that stamping out of all thing Hunter S. Thompson Mr. T.
However.....
You may have time to partake in a few more birthday parties before this thing is done.
Bon Anniversaire!
______
snark/off
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They are coming back just in time for my birthday and hopefully I won't be saying the same thing next year.The costs so far must be massive but the three accused until proven otherwise are innocent.
All this is a good reason why the jurors should have been sequestered, instead of the public interest....if they were in quarantine, they wouldn't be getting ill from being exposed to the public biome on Skytrain...and their meals could be taste-tested, for that matter.
Estimated date of trial completion...sometime after the 2013 election. the 2017 election??
A pity we can't recall judges as well as MLAs huh?
Thanks for keeping up the good fight and your stamina for all these years Bill!
You are a patriot and you are making a difference to Canadians yet to be born.
Thank you!
Bill,
The list of 44 witnesses was read out in BC Supreme Courtroom 54 today, I understand.
Sure would like to see that list, wouldn't you?
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I can see the delay due to illness. What I can't fathom is "Scheduling issues" as a reason to drag this trial out more and more. When they shut down for the summer, the judge issued a timetable which was known by all the principles. None of them should have been scheduling anything to interfere with this trial.
At the rate they are going, there is a good chance that some of the principles could well expire before there is a conclusion.
Between witnesses that have very selective memories, and all the delays, I can see a new television series in the works. "Law & Disorder, British Columbia".
Bill says:
..give me enough time to get rid of the HST".
That's a good one.
What will Bill do if the NDP once in goverment decides to keep it even at a slightly reduced percentage?
Absolutely nothing. It will be hands off the NDP.
LMAO!! With any luck? What you would need is a miracle and not some ordinary run of the mill miracle as performed by your average deity. Of course given how valuable you consider yourself to politics, maybe you're serious. That would at least answer the question posed last year. You're not an idiot or a liar, just completely and utterly delusional. All the best to you, sir. Do whatever is needed to save BC in the next 12 days but try not to get arrested, I need the entertainment fix I get from reading your twisted attempts at reasoned thought.
To Anon 11:50 a.m. - I oppose the HST and will continue to do so regardless of which government holds office. I disagree with the Nova Scotia NDP raising the HST by 2% points - it is a regressive tax period and hurts the economy.
As to whether I'll criticize the NDP, I suggest you look at my most recent column on this blog for your answer.
Who is Lying - Kevin Falcon or Garry Collins ?
When Mike Smth had a CKNW talk show called NIGHTLINE BC - Both Garry Collins & Kevin Falcon were guests & gave Contradictory Stories on the Sale of B.C. Rail
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 3:59 PM
To: jmccomb ; nw ws ; nwnews ; programming com ; twt@cknw.com
Subject: Been asking about this for years ( we gave CN , BC Rail ) =
Been asking about this for years ( we gave CN , BC Rail ) but i can never get an answer from any person !!
1) Falcon said he had a 1 Billion Buck Check in his hands
2) Gary Collins said it was revenue neutral
steve dockeray
milner bc
Canada
I sent this e-mail to CKNW & Global TV - Instead of Campbell being asked about this by local Media People - Campbell was given the info by either CKNW or Global TV & turned it around to say that the People who oppose the HST are Right Wing Whackos ie: Just how independent are BC Media People when it comes to protecting Campbell's Ass ?
Last week Bill Clinton called Tea Party people & Republicans " Right Wing Whackos " for wanting to impose a 23% Federal Sales Tax & then cut income taxes ie: Campbell's HST & Income Tax cuts must mean Gordo is a Right wing whacko ?
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2010 9:18 AM
To: weekendnews@globaltv.com
Subject: pt 2 of 2 ): Mr Ali Fw: cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS =Clinton calls people like : Gordon Campbell ( BC Premiere )a right wing whacko
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 11:03 AM
To: cnn room
Subject: Mr Ali Fw: cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS =Clinton calls people like :
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 9:13 AM
To: b bill ; good@cknw.com ; nw ws ; nwnews ; programming com
Subject: cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS =Clinton calls people like : Campbell a right wing whacko = ?HST - interesting coment by Bill Clinton today = He calls Republicans who want to impose a 25% Sales Tax & then cut income tax " Rightwing Whacko's " ie: it will raise Taxes f
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1009/21/sitroom.02.html
But the funders of the Tea Party movement tend to be pretty far-right extremists who want -- their goal is to destroy the power of government to mediate the power of corporations. And I don't really think that's the sustainable position
I think we should just play it straight. If they have got a Tea Party opponent who says something weird, like the guy running for senator from Alaska who says unemployment compensation is unconstitutional, or the man running for senator from Arkansas who says that we should have a 23 percent across-the-board sales tax, instead of an income tax, which would raise taxes for 85 percent of our -- or the governor running in Colorado who says Denver's bike paths are a U.N. plot to take away the sovereignty of Denver away from the United States, they might want to comment on it.
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 3:41 PM
To: jmccomb ; nw ws ; nwnews ; programming com ; t t
Subject: Campbell a right wing whacko = ?HST - interesting coment by Bill Clinton today
Campbell a right wing whacko = ?HST - interesting comment by Bill Clinton today = He calls Republicans who want to impose a 25% Sales Tax & then cut income tax " Rightwing Whacko's " ie: it will raise Taxes for 85% of Americans ..
steve dockeray
milner bc
canada
I sent this e-mail to CKNW & Global TV - Instead of Campbell being asked about this by local Media People - Campbell was given the info by either CKNW or Global TV & turned it around to say that the People who oppose the HST are Right Wing Whackos ie: Just how independent are BC Media People when it comes to protecting Campbell's Ass ?
Last week Bill Clinton called Tea Party people & Republicans " Right Wing Whackos " for wanting to impose a 23% Federal Sales Tax & then cut income taxes ie: Campbell's HST & Income Tax cuts must mean Gordo is a Right wing whacko ?
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2010 9:18 AM
To: weekendnews@globaltv.com
Subject: pt 2 of 2 ): Mr Ali Fw: cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS =Clinton calls people like : Gordon Campbell ( BC Premiere )a right wing whacko
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 11:03 AM
To: cnn room
Subject: Mr Ali Fw: cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS =Clinton calls people like :
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 9:13 AM
To: b bill ; good@cknw.com ; nw ws ; nwnews ; programming com
Subject: cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS =Clinton calls people like : Campbell a right wing whacko = ?HST - interesting coment by Bill Clinton today = He calls Republicans who want to impose a 25% Sales Tax & then cut income tax " Rightwing Whacko's " ie: it will raise Taxes f
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1009/21/sitroom.02.html
But the funders of the Tea Party movement tend to be pretty far-right extremists who want -- their goal is to destroy the power of government to mediate the power of corporations. And I don't really think that's the sustainable position
I think we should just play it straight. If they have got a Tea Party opponent who says something weird, like the guy running for senator from Alaska who says unemployment compensation is unconstitutional, or the man running for senator from Arkansas who says that we should have a 23 percent across-the-board sales tax, instead of an income tax, which would raise taxes for 85 percent of our -- or the governor running in Colorado who says Denver's bike paths are a U.N. plot to take away the sovereignty of Denver away from the United States, they might want to comment on it.
From: Steve Dockeray
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 3:41 PM
To: jmccomb ; nw ws ; nwnews ; programming com ; t t
Subject: Campbell a right wing whacko = ?HST - interesting coment by Bill Clinton today
Campbell a right wing whacko = ?HST - interesting comment by Bill Clinton today = He calls Republicans who want to impose a 25% Sales Tax & then cut income tax " Rightwing Whacko's " ie: it will raise Taxes for 85% of Americans ..
steve dockeray
milner bc
canada
I'll just leave this here.
Mr Tieleman Im curious, fully realizing this is your blog and you have the right to accept or decline whichever comments you wish.
Yesterday afternoon I submitted a comment and opinion concerning this trial.
I don't believe there was said anything slanderous, malign, as well there was no profanity, no personal comments to or of anyone.
Quite obviously there was a problem with my comment in your view. If it not to much to ask why was it rejected or is it me that your rejecting if so out of fairness , once again why.
Henri Paul - I have no comments unpublished from you so perhaps it went missing - please resend and I will either publish or post a reason why here.
Thanks for your reply Mr Tieleman.
Im of the opinion this jury will lapse into boredom and lose interest, with this case taking an exceeding long time to hear, this along with a judge with her tardiness in regards to court start time,this arrogance will also reflect back onto the jurors moral.
Two trials come to mind with a simular time frame, the OJ Simpson trial,the Pickton trial both trails were also exceedingly long. Boredom , loss of interest, confusion took hold.
OJ Simpson case he walked, jury turned him loose
Pickton trial, guilty of 2nd degree murder,and almost an appeal allowed, the proper verdict should have been guilty in the first degree.
My prediction all defendants in this trail will walk, its a given.
Trails that exceed 60 days max are not acceptable for Jury trial, anything over should be by Judge only.
Jury trails were never intended to run these long time frames.
Ive stated this elsewhere, if I was on this jury with all these shenanigan's taking place with no end in sight, I would bale come hell or high water, life's to short to put up with this crap, there will be no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for these juries,nothing.
The day of trial by jury is coming to an end, it has to.
"if I was on this jury with all these shenanigan's taking place with no end in sight, I would bale come hell or high water, life's to short to put up with this crap, there will be no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for these juries,nothing."
There's no way to bale (bail) if you are already a juror, however there is a way to stay out of jail by refusing to be a juror: In BC, only names on the provincial voter's list are used.
Henri Paul you're not on this trial as a juror. The jurors do see the light at the end of the tunnel, its March 2011.
As to the two trials that you've used to compare the BC Rail trial to, one AMERICAN, the other the Pickton case, they both involved murder, not just one murder, but multiple murders. The penalty is far worse for murder than an alleged Breach of Trust.
"The day of trial by jury is coming to an end, it has to."
Do you mean you want to abolish a trial where your peers decide your guilt or innocence?
You think it should be replaced by a judge who in his/her former line of work was called a Lawyer (and donated big bucks to those politicians that appoint lawyers to the lofty place of being a Judge, including a politically sensitive cases where the politicians Deputy Minister for the Attorney General gets to name the Special Prosecutor who worked with the Attorney General before he ran for office.....)
Of course it is a disgrace that it has been 7 years since the Legislature raid and yet this trial is still dragging on, but I'd argue that a jury today, when Gordon Campbell is at 12% approval, is more likely to believe that the Premier was the mastermind of a criminal conspiracy than if the trial had taken place in 2004/5 (when it should have if not for our dysfunctional justice system).
Who knows, maybe all the delays will end up infuriating a jury already suspicious of a Premier widely viewed as deceitful and insidious in the wake of the HST scandal.
StoneWally will find out the truth when he heads the BC Rail inquiry.
After the appeal of the appeal, look for closure by 2020 fer sure.
Has a criminal trial in B.C. ever been apealed because of colusion between the Judge,special prosecutor and whitnesses?
Anonymous said... 8:45 AM PDT
There's no way to bale (bail) if you are already a juror, however there is a way to stay out of jail by refusing to be a juror: In BC, only names on the provincial voter's list are used
HP Name one person who went to jail for refusing as for bailing yes there are ways legally.
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As to the two trials that you've used to compare the BC Rail trial to, one AMERICAN, the other the Pickton case, they both involved murder, not just one murder, but multiple murders. The penalty is far worse for murder than an alleged Breach of Trust.
HP I wasn't talking about the type of trials I was talking about the length of time these trails take.
Additionally amonst other things you failed to mention in regards to the Judges tardiness in this trail, or did you over look that.
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