Is public protest the only way to get action?

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This article was published 13/06/2024 (498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In what work environment would it be acceptable to hear a family’s request for help and then not respond to them for more than three months?

Our family has tried to be patient and respectful and only emailed twice and called once for an update. And still, radio-silence. Is this acceptable from Manitoba’s provincial government?

These are the facts that our family has experienced and feel compelled to share. We met with the justice minister on March 4.

Our daughter, Jordyn Reimer, was a designated driver the night of May 1, 2022, when she was senselessly killed by the impaired driver Tyler Scott Goodman.

After crashing into Jordyn’s car, Goodman and his three passengers had the presence of mind to return to the truck and grab their beers, then leave the scene of the crime. Not one of these four men checked to see if they could help Jordyn or to call 911 for her.

Near closing at the bar, a responsible acquaintance took Goodman’s keys away and placed them in her purse to stop him from driving impaired. Goodman’s ‘drinking-buddy’ retrieved the keys and reassured this acquaintance that she did not have to worry. He told her that he knew Goodman was too drunk to drive and that he would drive instead. He then gave the keys to Goodman.

This man needs to be held accountable for his actions as he set the entire travesty in motion that led to Jordyn’s death. Charges were recommended by the Winnipeg Police Services upon completion of their investigation. The prosecutor declined to prosecute. We have strongly opposed this decision.

Our pursuit of justice is twofold. Certainly, our short-term goal is for accountability and justice for Jordyn. Our second long-term goal is to save other lives. We cannot bring back Jordyn, but we can help to make crucial changes.

This is our goal.

This should matter to everyone, as it could be your family or best friend next. We are saying it is time to do something different — and the facts of Jordyn’s case can help achieve that change. We want to send the message that criminally culpable behavior can extend beyond just the driver when someone’s behavior is overt and direct. We want people to recognize that behavior has consequences.

Prosecution of this crime is a monumental opportunity for the judicial system to set a precedent. The NDP government has argued it is serious about addressing crime and this is one way to stand behind that claim.

Decisions about prosecution must be about holding criminals accountable for their actions. If this man had handed Goodman the keys to load a gun and shoot, he most certainly would have been prosecuted.

The keys were the bullet, and the truck was the gun. There should be no distinction between the types of weapons used to kill a person.

This is not some unforeseen accident, and it is time to stop treating it that way.

What we are asking for is not unreasonable. In fact, we have been told this is a reasonable request by multiple people along the way, including Matt Wiebe, the current justice minister.

We are asking for an independent, unbiased third-party review of the decision not to prosecute. We want what the previous justice minister, Kelvin Goertzen, ordered in the Peter Nygard case. Jordyn deserves this unbiased review, just like the victims in the Nygard case deserved.

The parallels are striking as both cases expose a common theme of lack of accountability and due process in the prosecution office when it comes to cases where the decision not to prosecute is being challenged by victim’s families. Human error occurs in decision making.

Prosecutors are human. Making an error is not the problem. Standing behind an error at all costs is the problem.

A second-opinion review should be openly supported by any prosecutor, as they should be confident a review will support their decision is sound and justified. What is needed is a due process that allows for mistakes to be discovered. Only then can a mistake be owned, acknowledged, and learned from. Transparency and accountability are needed by all involved to do better next time.

We have spent more than two years advocating for accountability.

Our family trusted the system and bit our lips and followed the rules.

We continued to try to respectfully do what we thought would be the proper steps to get justice. We had to figure this out on our own, as there was no help to guide victims and their families through this.

What we have learned so far is that following the rules does not work.

We have learned being patient and respectful does not work. Is there some unspoken rule that if families are made to wait long enough, they will just give up and go away?

That is one rule we refuse to follow. We do not want to be forced to consider public protest, but we are asking ourselves if this is what is necessary to get action?

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It seems sad and disillusioning to be pushed to such measures.

Our Jordyn could be someone in your family or your best friend. We are confident that every person would fight for the justice their loved one deserved.

From the beginning we were told that public outcry pushes public policy so please do your part as public opinion matters. Please email and share your views with the justice minister and the premier.

Jordyn’s life mattered.

Karen and Doug Reimer are Jordyn Reimer’s parents.