Mike on Crime

Bloggers

with Mike McIntyre

Setting the youth record straight

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is why we don't publish the names and pictures of young offenders.

View Full Post | 22/12/2009 3:39 PM | 19
Mother's Day horror

It may go down as the worst Mother’s Day gift in history.

View Full Post | 26/11/2009 2:27 PM | 4
Joe Firefighter

The reputation of Winnipeg firefighters has taken a major hit in recent weeks after news of a so-called “sex tryst” became public.

View Full Post | 11/09/2009 9:46 AM | 16
Igniting the violence
It serves as the fuel for organized crime - and Winnipeggers are consuming it at an alarming rate.
View Full Post | 5/08/2009 4:30 PM | 20
An innocent victim

Enlarge Image

Cheryl Roberts (FAMILY PHOTO)

It had been less than 48 hours since they received the devastating news – Cheryl Robert had been shot dead at a Winnipeg wedding social.
View Full Post | 28/07/2009 2:18 PM | 2
Shopping mall justice
Is it any wonder why the public has so little faith in the justice system?
View Full Post | 22/06/2009 5:49 PM | 13
Twitter-gate
The wheels of justice may move slowly, but technology is ensuring that court and crime stories travel faster than ever down the information highway.
View Full Post | 27/05/2009 5:49 PM | 2
TJ's gift
First off, my apologies for being a bad blogger. I’ve neglected this forum a bit over the past few weeks while playing with the shiny new technological toy that is Twitter.
View Full Post | 8/05/2009 3:18 PM | 15
Tweet, tweet
You can’t fight technology. And so, after a few weeks of peer pressure from my colleague, Bruce Owen, I’ve joined the online revolution known as “Twitter”.
View Full Post | 26/03/2009 3:08 PM | 0
Club Fed
Somewhat overshadowed by this week’s news of convicted cop killer Laurie Bell being re-arrested for a parole violation was the following little nugget from the jail guard she’s alleged to be romantically linked to.
View Full Post | 19/03/2009 2:02 PM | 1
Did 12-year-old killer have a fighting chance?
Is it possible to feel sorry for someone who commits one of the most vile and senseless killings you'll ever hear about?
View Full Post | 25/02/2009 12:27 PM | 10
A new low?
Has our thirst for celebrity "infotainment" hit a new low? That's the question I'm asking today after some low-life leaked a picture of pop singer Rihanna to the TMZ website which shows her battered and bruised face following an alleged case of domestic violence.
View Full Post | 20/02/2009 1:20 PM | 2
Too quick to judge
The justice system isn't perfect. Far from it.
View Full Post | 17/02/2009 5:52 PM | 11
Justice delayed, justice denied?
He is deaf, nearly blind, suffers from a disease similar to Alzheimer's and is 93-years-old. And on Tuesday, he narrowly escaped going to prison.
View Full Post | 27/01/2009 1:36 PM | 1
One of Winnipeg's lost souls
Jonathon Dorion is one of the lost souls in Winnipeg. The homeless man has been arrested a staggering 328 times under the Inxtoxicated Persons Detention Act. He's racked up another 82 criminal convictions, mostly for petty nuisance offences and breaching court orders. He's been sniffing solvents since he was seven-years-old. And when he's not in jail, his home is usually the cold interior of a U-Haul truck.
View Full Post | 14/01/2009 5:40 PM | 3
Reader mail
Jail riots, drunk drivers and drugs...just a few of the topics that have some readers riled up lately.
View Full Post | 13/01/2009 7:00 PM | 11
Stories that touched me
Two thousand and eight marked my 13th year of covering crime for this fine newspaper. It also represented one of the busiest, most shocking and most heart-wrenching years I’ve ever experienced.
View Full Post | 30/12/2008 3:21 PM | 2
'Tis the Season....for scams
It's a familiar scenario - a greedy Grinch takes advantage of the public's collective goodwill in an attempt to stuff their own proverbial stockings.
View Full Post | 23/12/2008 2:40 PM | 1
Failing our fellow man
It was a troubling scene: an elderly man, crawling on all fours down a frozen sidewalk, his glasses hanging off his face, clearly injured and disoriented, unable to stand up.
View Full Post | 9/12/2008 4:41 PM | 6
What were they thinking?
The Manitoba justice system, Winnipeg police and RCMP have shown an amazing lack of consistency this week in the way two tragic impaired driving cases have been handled.
View Full Post | 5/12/2008 5:14 PM | 0
You wonder why judges claim their hands are tied

Here's a perfect example of why judges are often so limited in their ability to hand down significant sentences.

View Full Post | 25/11/2008 11:07 AM | 0
Thinking about Phoenix
Rarely am I at a loss for words. But that's exactly the situation I've faced this week after covering the Phoenix Sinclair murder trial.
View Full Post | 14/11/2008 2:50 PM | 1
Small talk, big trouble
Should provincial court Judge Ken Champagne have removed himself from presiding over a high-profile criminal case?In case you missed it, Champagne raised concerns earlier this month about some light-hearted small talk he had with the lawyer representing the accused, Brock Golden, during a recent social event.The two men crossed paths at a legal conference, just two days after Golden's sentencing hearing ended with Champagne reserving his decision.Golden, the son of long-time city councillor Al Golden, admitted he used the Internet to lure teenage girls to a city hotel room to have sex with and take nude photos. The Crown asked for a three-year prison sentence, while Golden is seeking a conditional penalty that allows him to remain free in the community.Champagne returned to court last week during an emergency hearing to decide whether he should stay on the case.The judge told court how he and Wolson made idle chit chat until talk turned to the sentencing hearing.According to Champagne, Wolson said he “wanted to share a story.” Wolson then described how one of his client’s many supporters in court less than 48 hours earlier had been retired provincial court Judge Sam Minuk, a long-time family friend of the Goldens.Wolson told Champagne that Minuk had wanted to submit a letter of support on behalf of Golden, and also address the court and make a verbal submission. Wolson said he had talked Minuk out of it, believing it would put Champagne in an "uncomfortable" position.“Then, in a joking manner, Mr. Wolson stated, ‘So you owe me one. You won’t issue a bench warrant for me if I’m stuck in Ottawa,” Champagne told court in recalling their conversation. (Wolson is headed east to serve as lead commission counsel for the federal probe into former prime minister Brian Mulroney's business and financial dealings with lobbyist Karlheinz Schreiber)Champagne said he knew immediately that Wolson was joking and "doesn't believe for a second" there was any ulterior motive for it."I can assure all of you that remark has not influenced or impacted me in any way regarding this matter," said Champagne. Still, the judge said he's aware that there were hundreds of people at the conference -- including lawyers, judges and police officers -- and that he wanted to address the issue head-on."I am obliged to disclose these comments as there may have been a perceived, reasonable apprehension of bias," he said.Wolson, who is widely considered by his peers to be one of the most honourable and effective lawyers in Manitoba, was stunned."I'm quite taken aback because the last thing I'd ever do is influence a judge," he told court. "I'm shocked that would be a matter you would raise with us. The comments were not said for any purpose or advantage. I would never want to have a victory in the courts that isn't earned, on advocacy or evidence."Crown attorney Mick Makar said he had no concerns with the issue, saying Wolson has an "impeccable" reputation. He agreed with Wolson's suggestion that Champagne stay on the case and give his decision to avoid any further delays.Champagne took a few days to think it over, then returned to court Tuesday and decided he would stay on the case. No date has been set for Golden's sentencing decision.Here's my personal take on this. Then I want yours. Richard Wolson is a stand-up guy, as good as they come. I know a lot of members of the public believe defence lawyers have no morals, but that's unfair and inaccurate. They don't have to like the clients they represent - they just have to do a job, same as all of us. And Wolson is very good at his job, among the best. I'd hire him in a heartbeat if I ever needed good legal representation.Like Champagne, Makar and likely the rest of Manitoba's legal community, I don't believe Wolson had ulterior motives when he chatted up the judge. However, I do believe it was a mistake for Wolson to bring up the sentencing hearing in any way, shape or form. It was too fresh, and he knew Champagne hadn't yet made his decision.I applaud Champagne for bringing this matter into the public domain. I'm sure he could have just dealt with this privately, or not at all, and it would have just gone away. But Champagne recognized this was a sensitive issue and one that ought to be put on the record.I have known Champagne for many years, most of them as a Crown prosecutor, and believe he is truly honourable. I don't have a problem with him continuing to sit on the Golden case because I trust that he won't be influenced in any way by what's happened.If nothing else, at least this issue has shown the justice system can be an open and transparent one. And no doubt plenty of lawyers out there are re-evaluating what they might say the next time they cross paths with a judge at a cocktail party or convention.After all, it's a relatively small legal community out there and small talk is bound to happen. The trick is to avoid turning it into a big problem.What do you think? Should Champagne have recused himself, or is there no harm, no foul here? You can also vote in my latest website Jury Poll question by clicking HERE.Post your thoughts below.
View Full Post | 8/10/2008 7:01 PM | 0
Three cheers for common sense
Finally, a "good news" story from a Canadian courtroom.Quebec Superior Court Judge Richard Mongeau has done the right thing this week and overturned a truly ludicrous lower court decision which would have seen a 18-year-old motorist stand trial in youth court for the death of a three-year-old girl -- even though he was legally an adult at the time of the incident.You read that right. An no, it doesn't make any sense.It was earlier this year that Quebec Court Judge Odette Perron came down with the bizarre ruling, which stemmed from an Oct. 31, 2007 incident that left Bianca Leduc dead.The motorist - who happened to be celebrating his 18th birthday that very day - is accused of driving on to the front lawn of a home daycare and running over the little girl while she was putting up Halloween decorations.He was charged with causing death by criminal negligence and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.The charges filed by the Crown referred to the tragic incident as occurring "on or about" Oct. 31 - a frequent legal term used in court documents.Amazingly, Perron ruled that "on or about" could mean the day of Oct. 31, the day before or the day after.She then claimed she had no choice but to give the 18-year-old the benefit of the doubt and send his case to youth court - even though everyone knew the crash happened on Oct. 31.Is it any wonder the Canadian public have so little faith in the justice system?The Crown appealed the ruling and got the decision overturned in the higher court this week.The young man now faces a maximum jail term of 14 years if convicted. While there's no chance he gets anywhere close to the max, a real jail sentence is a strong possibility. As a youth, he'd likely be looking at probation.His name still can't be published because his lawyer has 30 days to decide whether to challenge the ruling before the Quebec Court of Appeal.If that happens, let's hope that the common sense displayed this week by Judge Mongeau is contagious.www.mikeoncrime.com
View Full Post | 3/10/2008 1:44 PM | 0
The inmates truly are running the asylum
He may have injured his thumb - but a convicted killer has also given the finger to Canada's justice system.Muri Peace Chilton, who is serving a life sentence for raping, killing and burning a 15-year-old Ontario girl while he was on parole for a horrific sex attack in Manitoba, has somehow won a mind-boggling lawsuit against the federal government.Chilton was awarded $2,500 in damages because a prison official laughed at him after he cut his thumb.The heartless murderer described the injury as “the most painful experience of his life,” and called the laughter that followed “beyond callousness” and damaging because he “felt utterly humiliated.”Chilton was injured in February 2000 while in the woodworking shop at Warkworth Institution, an Ontario prison. His left thumb became caught between two pieces of metal while using a router. Chilton said he heard “sadistic laughter” from the jail employee, who then joked about his injury for months.For those of you keeping score at home, Federal Court Justice Leonard S. Mandamin is the person who ruled in Chilton's favour.Does this make any sense to anyone? I thought these kind of ridiculous judgments only happened south of the border. At least we can take some solace in the fact Chilton actually won't pocket a penny. He just so happens to owe the government exactly $2,500 in legal fees spent on other motions he'd filed with the court but which were dismissed. (He was initially seeking $100,000 in damages)The mother of his murder victim, Heather Corey, called the lawsuit absurd.“He’s ridiculous. We never got any money from the government at all,” Mary O’Reilly told the National Post this week. “That would be a better use of money.”And to think Chilton has the gall to call this the most painful experience of his life.How about the pain he caused to his victims, beginning with the young Winnipeg woman he picked up hitchiking in January 1977, then held captive in his car, tried to run over, forced to the ground, raped, strippedand choked into unconsciousness before leaving in an isolated, icy field?Chilton was sentenced to 14 years in prison, but was released after serving just nine.While still serving the rest of his sentence in the community, Chilton befriended O’Reilly and raped her 15-year-old daughter in the basement of their townhouse before smothering her to death, pouring gas on the body and setting it ablaze.Funny, none of this was mentioned in Chilton's lawsuit, in which he went into great detail about his "suffering" as a result of losing almost 80 per cent of his nail.“The self-respect of [Chilton] and inherent dignity of [Chilton] as a person suffered greatly due to the laughter,” he wrote in his claim, according to the National Post report.“[I] went to the filthy utility sink and ran cold water over it in an effort to stop the pain and bleeding,” he said.Aww. Poor guy.Chilton said he had to walk to the infirmary “without gauze on it as the first aid kit for the shop was in the office, an area which is unauthorized to inmates and is up a long flight of stairs.” His fingernail took months to grow back and it continued to hurt, particularly if he put pressure on it.He claims the incident robbed him of the “pleasant and useful feature of not only his left thumb but his left hand, as the thumb is an integral member of the hand and without it the hand is severely handicapped.”Has the world gone mad? Or is this just more proof the inmates are truly running the asylum?www.mikeoncrime.com
View Full Post | 2/10/2008 2:13 AM | 0