A one-time fringe candidate for mayor of Winnipeg has been ordered by Manitoba's highest court to stop offering legal services to local citizens.
Ron Pollock took out a series of local radio and newspaper ads two years ago in which he dubbed himself a "Criminal Code agent who has helped countless people win their court cases."
Ron Pollock appealed Queen’s Bench decision, but lost.
Although Pollock included a statement he was "proud to say I am not a lawyer... I am Ron Pollock, advocate, inexpensive and immaculate," the law society filed for a permanent injunction on the grounds members of the public wouldn't know the difference.
Pollock was even the subject of an undercover "sting" in which the society hired a private investigator to pose as a man seeking a divorce. Secret recordings of three telephone chats and one face-to-face meeting were presented to the court.
The society said it's clear Pollock is trying to trick people into believing he can perform a variety of legal functions at a fraction of the cost, despite having no formal education, training or licence in the field.
A Queen's Bench judge agreed. Pollock appealed the decision, but learned Monday it had been upheld.
Like any citizen, Pollock can still act as a private agent in summary conviction cases under the Criminal Code where the maximum penalty is a period of six months in jail or less. However, the provincial court of Manitoba has the final say in determining whether to allow him to act in such a case.
Other cases under the Criminal Code, Divorce Act, Highway Traffic Act and other statutes are off limits, however.
Not surprisingly, Pollock represented himself throughout his legal battle with the society. He has now been ordered to pay costs associate with his losing effort.
Pollock is a former cable TV personality who ran for mayor in the last civic election in 2006, finishing last in a four-candidate field. Pollock received 4,444 votes, which translated into 2.6 per cent of the popular vote.
His platform included vowing to bring back the Winnipeg Jets, wanting to "do away with white-collar culture at city hall" and creating a medicare-like system called Lawcare, using city resources.
www.mikeoncrime.com
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