Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Toronto police corruption trial: Crown closes case

After more than three months, the Crown has closed its case in the Toronto drug squad corruption trial.

Prosecutor Milan Rupic told an Ontario Superior Court jury Wednesday that he and his three co-counsel would be calling no further evidence.

Jurors have heard from 25 witnesses in a trial that began Jan. 16.

Rupic also said that “in light of the available evidence,” the Crown will no longer be proceeding with four of 14 counts, including perjury.

John Schertzer, 54; Raymond Pollard, 48; Joseph Miched, 53; Steven Correia, 45; and Ned Maodus, 49, still face various charges, laid in 2004, including attempting to obstruct justice, assault and extortion between 1997 and 2002.

The jury returns Monday.

Defence lawyers for the five former Central Field Command drug squad officers have not said if they will call evidence.

But Patrick Ducharme, lawyer for Maodus, has told the jury he anticipates they will hear from Richard Benoit, another former drug squad officer.

Former marijuana dealer Christopher Quigley, 46, testified that Benoit and Maodus viciously punched, kicked and choked him when he was in custody in 1998.

One of the counts — attempting to obstruct justice — for which the Crown is no longer calling evidence concerns another former drug dealer, Larry Vacon, 51.

Prosecutors had told the jury they expected Vacon would testify that in 1997, after he was arrested by the drug squad, he saw them searching his Parkdale apartment illegally.

But when Vacon took the stand in February, he said he could no longer clearly remember the event.

Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Peter Small

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