Thursday, July 23, 2009
Basi-Virk today in BC Supreme Court, 10:00 a.m.
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Confirmed in BC Supreme Court listings for today July 23, 2009. Best access to Law Courts building: corner of Nelson and Hornby. Featured topic: Patrick Kinsella. Thanks to Bill Tieleman for this info. Bill says this is the last Basi-Virk pre-trial hearing until August 17. More at his blog: HERE.
The famous players in this historic event assemble again at 10:00 AM. See Madam Justice Elizabeth Bennett presiding. See Bill Berardino, our Crown Prosecutor. See Bolton, McCullough, and the other guy, for the Defence. See Bill Tieleman and maybe Robin Mathews, as well as Mark Hume and other pressmen. If you ask me, this is the most riveting show in town.
Open to the citizens, of course. - BC Mary.
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Destroyed government e-mails could lead to mistrial
Campbell, as well as defendants, would be pleased
BY MICHAEL SMYTH
THE PROVINCE - JULY 23, 2009
Defence lawyers in the B.C. Rail corruption trial say Premier Gordon Campbell's private e-mails could help prove their clients' innocence.
But what's obvious now is that the destruction of those same e-mails could prove even more valuable to the former government insiders facing charges of fraud, breach-of-trust and accepting bribes in this politically explosive case.
Why? Because if the e-mails have been erased, as government lawyers suggest, the defence will use that as grounds to have the charges thrown out of court -- more than five years after the legislature was raided by police.
{Snip} ...
Sickeningly, you just know the government is secretly hoping the case will be thrown out of court, too -- despite Campbell's pious promise of a "thorough, complete and diligent investigation in the public interest." I don't believe it for a second -- not if evidence has been wantonly destroyed.
"We don't know who gave that order [to erase e-mails]," Bolton said.
"We don't know why that order was given. Those are serious questions that need serious answers that we'll be seeking when we resume this matter in August." You can practically hear the abuse-of-process arguments now. And the government will be privately rooting him on.
Now it's up to Justice Bennett to ensure this trial stays on the rails -- because the public deserves the truth.
Read the complete column HERE.
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I'm going to send a Thank You to Michael Smyth for his plain-spoken opinion. I hope others will write to him, too. Maybe also a Letter to the Editor. Never mind how late this kind of fearless analysis may be. This is truth-telling that we desperately needed to hear. It should be encouraged. - BC Mary.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Confirmed in BC Supreme Court listings for today July 23, 2009. Best access to Law Courts building: corner of Nelson and Hornby. Featured topic: Patrick Kinsella. Thanks to Bill Tieleman for this info. Bill says this is the last Basi-Virk pre-trial hearing until August 17. More at his blog: HERE.
The famous players in this historic event assemble again at 10:00 AM. See Madam Justice Elizabeth Bennett presiding. See Bill Berardino, our Crown Prosecutor. See Bolton, McCullough, and the other guy, for the Defence. See Bill Tieleman and maybe Robin Mathews, as well as Mark Hume and other pressmen. If you ask me, this is the most riveting show in town.
Open to the citizens, of course. - BC Mary.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Destroyed government e-mails could lead to mistrial
Campbell, as well as defendants, would be pleased
BY MICHAEL SMYTH
THE PROVINCE - JULY 23, 2009
Defence lawyers in the B.C. Rail corruption trial say Premier Gordon Campbell's private e-mails could help prove their clients' innocence.
But what's obvious now is that the destruction of those same e-mails could prove even more valuable to the former government insiders facing charges of fraud, breach-of-trust and accepting bribes in this politically explosive case.
Why? Because if the e-mails have been erased, as government lawyers suggest, the defence will use that as grounds to have the charges thrown out of court -- more than five years after the legislature was raided by police.
{Snip} ...
Sickeningly, you just know the government is secretly hoping the case will be thrown out of court, too -- despite Campbell's pious promise of a "thorough, complete and diligent investigation in the public interest." I don't believe it for a second -- not if evidence has been wantonly destroyed.
"We don't know who gave that order [to erase e-mails]," Bolton said.
"We don't know why that order was given. Those are serious questions that need serious answers that we'll be seeking when we resume this matter in August." You can practically hear the abuse-of-process arguments now. And the government will be privately rooting him on.
Now it's up to Justice Bennett to ensure this trial stays on the rails -- because the public deserves the truth.
Read the complete column HERE.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
I'm going to send a Thank You to Michael Smyth for his plain-spoken opinion. I hope others will write to him, too. Maybe also a Letter to the Editor. Never mind how late this kind of fearless analysis may be. This is truth-telling that we desperately needed to hear. It should be encouraged. - BC Mary.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Comments:
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I was just wondering if the courtroom would be packed. Hope Bill and Robin (if he makes it)get good seats where they can hear whats going on.
Rather than send Mike Smyth a note directly, I commented in his column. He did a fine job today and I submit he has been the only political reporter doing so whenever he got the chance.
Forgot to sign in, in my haste to comment. Gary E
Rather than send Mike Smyth a note directly, I commented in his column. He did a fine job today and I submit he has been the only political reporter doing so whenever he got the chance.
Forgot to sign in, in my haste to comment. Gary E
Hmmmm.....
Looks like the herd has turned...Too bad the stonewall is now so high and thick that they will likely have a hard time breaking through.
(unless, of course, they work at it relentlessly, stone-by-stone, day-after-day, which, if I remember correctly, is precisely how WoodStein did it it before they convinced the big boys like Sy Hersh to pick up a chisel too).
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Looks like the herd has turned...Too bad the stonewall is now so high and thick that they will likely have a hard time breaking through.
(unless, of course, they work at it relentlessly, stone-by-stone, day-after-day, which, if I remember correctly, is precisely how WoodStein did it it before they convinced the big boys like Sy Hersh to pick up a chisel too).
.
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