Without any kind of serious, thorough and official reckoning in the wake of the G20 summit in Toronto last summer, we were finally starting to get used to the idea that what Ontario ombudsman André Marin called the most massive compromise of civil liberties in Canadian history was going to be brushed off with nothing more than a pat on the head from the feds, a province desperate to pass the buck and an SIU that couldn’t get Toronto police to identify more than a handful of officers. But it looks like we got used to the idea a little too soon. News broke yesterday that a class action lawsuit on behalf of the people rounded up during the G-20 will, in fact, go forward.
Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
7/29/2011
Police wrong to question man with crossbow near G20 fence, judge rules
Police breached the rights of a man arrested with a crossbow near the G20 security fence when they questioned him without giving him a chance to consult a lawyer, a judge has ruled.
“The law makes clear that an investigative detention of that kind gives rise to a right to counsel,” provincial court Justice David Fairgrieve said Wednesday as he excluded all the statements made by Gary McCullough to a police officer who questioned him at the scene.
“The law makes clear that an investigative detention of that kind gives rise to a right to counsel,” provincial court Justice David Fairgrieve said Wednesday as he excluded all the statements made by Gary McCullough to a police officer who questioned him at the scene.
5/18/2011
Defiant Sonne on a tight leash before G20 trial
Byron Sonne emerged from a Toronto courthouse Wednesday afternoon free of shackles and the centre of a media frenzy.
And after almost a year in police custody, accused of collecting explosives and plotting to attack the G20 summit in Toronto, he seemed to enjoy the attention.
And after almost a year in police custody, accused of collecting explosives and plotting to attack the G20 summit in Toronto, he seemed to enjoy the attention.
5/12/2011
G20 security still a question
Premier Dalton McGuinty has lost an opportunity to clarify the bizarre security regulations at last year’s G20 summit in Toronto by either apologizing for the secretly passed regulations or calling a broad inquiry.
Speaking last week, McGuinty declined to apologize for the regulations cabinet approved to the Ontario Public Works Protection Act that allowed police to search pedestrians in an area near the summit. The regulations caused confusion for demonstrators, particularly when police left the impression that the regulations applied to a five-metre zone near the summit’s fence. In fact, one may wonder if some police officers sincerely thought they did have the right to question pedestrians in that zone.
Speaking last week, McGuinty declined to apologize for the regulations cabinet approved to the Ontario Public Works Protection Act that allowed police to search pedestrians in an area near the summit. The regulations caused confusion for demonstrators, particularly when police left the impression that the regulations applied to a five-metre zone near the summit’s fence. In fact, one may wonder if some police officers sincerely thought they did have the right to question pedestrians in that zone.
4/29/2011
Warmington: G20 riot should never have happened
Why didn’t Chief Bill Blair and his senior command just let their officers arrest the Black Bloc when they had the chance before the rampaging began?
Turns out there was no need to sneak in any fancy wartime laws!
There are aerial pictures of these punks all huddled together.
Turns out there was no need to sneak in any fancy wartime laws!
There are aerial pictures of these punks all huddled together.
4/18/2011
CANADA DAYBOOK: Election Campaign Second Half, Teck Earnings
The federal election campaign entered its second half following the leaders’ debates last week. Teck Resources Ltd. is estimated to post a first-quarter profit of 76 cents a share.
WHAT TO WATCH: *Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff kicked off the second half of their campaigns for the May 2 federal election in Ontario last week.
WHAT TO WATCH: *Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff kicked off the second half of their campaigns for the May 2 federal election in Ontario last week.
3/03/2011
G20 summit
Premier Dalton McGuinty has flatly refused to call an inquiry into the way police handled security at last summer's G20 Summit in Toronto, saying "We've got five independent reviews taking place now. I think that's a lot of expertise and independent perspective, and I think that's going to do a really good job."
We think the premier is wrong. There could soon be a dozen independent reviews, based on the numbers of people still coming forward with complaints about the way they were treated last June.
We think the premier is wrong. There could soon be a dozen independent reviews, based on the numbers of people still coming forward with complaints about the way they were treated last June.
2/09/2011
No compensation yet for G20: business owners
Dozens of businesses in the city centre say they haven't received any federal compensation following last summer's G20 meetings, which led to large-scale street closures and rampant vandalism in major retail areas in Toronto.
Kevin Parker from the Queen Street West landmark Steve's Music said that his storefront was seriously damaged when a police cruiser was set on fire only metres from the store.
Kevin Parker from the Queen Street West landmark Steve's Music said that his storefront was seriously damaged when a police cruiser was set on fire only metres from the store.
2/02/2011
Toronto police officer Babak Andalib-Goortani charged for G-20 assault
A Toronto Police Service officer has been arrested and charged.
Constable Babak Andalib-Goortani, 30, has over three years' service and is assigned to 31 Division.
On Friday, January 21, 2011, the Toronto Police Service began a criminal investigation based on a complaint received by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.
It is alleged that:
- on Saturday, June 26, 2010, Constable Andalib-Goortani assaulted a woman by hitting her with his baton, in the area of Queen's Park.
On Tuesday, February 1, 2011, Constable Andalib-Goortani was arrested and charged with Assault with a Weapon.
He is scheduled to appear in court at College Park on Monday, March 7, 2011 at 10 a.m., room 507.
Source: http://www.oyetimes.com
Constable Babak Andalib-Goortani, 30, has over three years' service and is assigned to 31 Division.
On Friday, January 21, 2011, the Toronto Police Service began a criminal investigation based on a complaint received by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.
It is alleged that:
- on Saturday, June 26, 2010, Constable Andalib-Goortani assaulted a woman by hitting her with his baton, in the area of Queen's Park.
On Tuesday, February 1, 2011, Constable Andalib-Goortani was arrested and charged with Assault with a Weapon.
He is scheduled to appear in court at College Park on Monday, March 7, 2011 at 10 a.m., room 507.
Source: http://www.oyetimes.com
2/01/2011
G20 activist loses challenge to rescind bail conditions
TORONTO — A Montreal activist banned from demonstrating after last summer's G20 protests has lost his bid to have the restriction overturned.
Jaggi Singh, who faces conspiracy charges in connection with the protests, asked a Toronto court to rescind his bail conditions, which include a ban on demonstrating.
Singh's lawyer, Peter Rosenthal, says the court's decision issued today upholds the ban, but releases his client from house arrest and the obligation to live with one of his sureties.
Rosenthal says he is "disappointed" with the decision.
He says Singh could bring his case to the Supreme Court of Canada, but there's only a "very small chance" the court would hear it.
There is a publication ban on the reasons for the decision.
Singh is a community organizer with the Anti-Capitalist Convergence as well as No One Is Illegal-Montreal.
Other G20 conspiracy defendants face restrictive curfews and house arrest.
A co-accused, Alex Hundert, is also prohibited from appearing at public demonstrations.
Source: http://www.ctv.ca
Jaggi Singh, who faces conspiracy charges in connection with the protests, asked a Toronto court to rescind his bail conditions, which include a ban on demonstrating.
Singh's lawyer, Peter Rosenthal, says the court's decision issued today upholds the ban, but releases his client from house arrest and the obligation to live with one of his sureties.
Rosenthal says he is "disappointed" with the decision.
He says Singh could bring his case to the Supreme Court of Canada, but there's only a "very small chance" the court would hear it.
There is a publication ban on the reasons for the decision.
Singh is a community organizer with the Anti-Capitalist Convergence as well as No One Is Illegal-Montreal.
Other G20 conspiracy defendants face restrictive curfews and house arrest.
A co-accused, Alex Hundert, is also prohibited from appearing at public demonstrations.
Source: http://www.ctv.ca
1/18/2011
Hire Star to probe G20 police
Well, the Star has done it again. The Toronto police can’t seem to find any evidence of wrong doing by their own officers at the G20. The Star steps in to the investigative vacuum and finds enough evidence to get the Special Investigations Unit to look into two cases of possible police misconduct.
Mayor Rob Ford likes the idea of contracting out to save money. Maybe he should look into contracting out police services to the Star. They seem to have a better handle on investigations than the police do. Congratulations and well done!
Source: http://www.thestar.com
Mayor Rob Ford likes the idea of contracting out to save money. Maybe he should look into contracting out police services to the Star. They seem to have a better handle on investigations than the police do. Congratulations and well done!
Source: http://www.thestar.com
1/17/2011
Tallying the G20’s legal costs
More than six months after the last world leader jetted out of fortress Toronto, the impact of the G20 summit continues to reverberate across the city and the country, including the financial cost of the various legal proceedings and reviews that have resulted.
With a slew of reports, inquiries, reviews, class actions, criminal trials, and civil actions underway or still to come, the legal bills are threatening to add significantly to the famous billion-dollar security price tag.
Nathalie Des Rosiers, general counsel at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, continues to press for a single public inquiry into police actions that would consolidate at least some of the public probes. She insists it’s not too late to save money.
“When you have a multi-force policing effort, we ought to have had one public inquiry that has powers to compel testimony,” she says. “It’s sufficiently complex that a public inquiry would have been the cheaper and more comprehensive route. I think it would still be a cheaper route, but we’re still working with all the inquiries that are taking place.”
The CCLA is close to releasing its own report on G20 policing and public accountability after it held hearings in November. Des Rosiers says it’s also planning a book on the summit in addition to making submissions to most of the public inquiries underway.
One of the few proceedings yet to hear from the CCLA is the Toronto Police Services Board’s independent civilian review led by former associate chief justice John Morden.
Based at the offices of his firm, Heenan Blaikie LLP, Morden will make non-binding recommendations after tackling 35 questions posed by the review’s terms of reference about the board’s role in planning and leading the G20 security effort.
The review was only supposed to take 12 weeks when it was announced in July. But by the time of Morden’s selection, the deadline had become much more vague with no specific budget for the review.
Morden has been instructed to deliver monthly invoices while working at a rate of $480 per hour with other members of the small team remunerated on a sliding scale. Only the first month’s bill of $24,000 is publicly available so far, but the board is expected to approve additional costs at its next meeting in February.
Review counsel Ryan Teschner says there are four phases to the process: background research, document review, interviews, and report writing. After four months, he notes the team is just beginning the document review phase but he can’t say when it’ll be ready to hear from witnesses.
“We understand this review is being conducted with public money, so we are working hard to be as efficient and effective as possible and to make sure there is no overlap and no duplication of efforts,” Teschner says.
Former chief justice and Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP counsel Roy McMurtry has clearly cut the provincial government a deal for his review of the so-called secret law under the Public Works Protection Act.
He’s working at a bargain rate of $300 per hour. Joe Kim, spokesman for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, won’t say how much the review has spent so far. “We want to provide one final tally once the report is submitted,” he says. That’s expected in April, he adds.
Ontario ombudsman André Marin conducted his own review of the act using his office’s regular budget. The Special Investigations Unit also kept its probe of six allegations of police brutality in-house.
The new Office of the Independent Police Review Director has hired additional investigators in order to meet the demands of its systemic review of G20 policing, but spokeswoman Allison Hawkins says it’s difficult to isolate the cost of that in its overall budget.
In addition to the police services board proceedings, the Toronto Police Service is also conducting its own internal review related to the G20, although spokeswoman Meaghan Gray says it’s all within the normal budget.
The service has, however, hired Borden Ladner Gervais LLP to represent it in various G20-related civil suits, but Gray notes an insurer covers the legal fees.
Seeking to put a significantly larger dent into public coffers than any of the multitude of G20 reviews and investigations are two class action lawsuits launched within weeks of one another in the summer.
But before the litigants take on the police, they may have to face off against one another. Murray Klippenstein, the lawyer on a $45-million class action against Toronto police and the RCMP, says it’s likely only one of the matters will proceed. The members of his class include about 800 people arrested and released without charge during the G20.
David Midanik is the lawyer for a $115-million class action that represents all of those arrested — estimated at about 1,170 people — during the G20 weekend. He says it’s important to include those who were charged.
“Most of the people who were charged were at the forefront of exercising democratic rights, so in terms of preserving civil liberties and democratic rights, it’s essential those people get representation,” Midanik says.
Klippenstein, meanwhile, says he’s considering expanding his class to include those who faced charges that were later withdrawn or stayed.
Initially, Midanik’s matter also included business owners who suffered property damage during the summit. That’s no longer the case due to a fear it made the class too broad for certification. Both lawyers are preparing applications for certification, but neither expects a court hearing for months.
Adam Goodman acted for several of those charged by acting at bail hearings on a pro bono basis. Although most of them had their charges dropped at the first appearance in court, one of his clients is facing a trial in April.
Goodman says he’s looking forward to hearing testimony from police when trials get underway in courtrooms across the city next month.
“There’s been mostly silence from the police officers, but at trial, they’ll be on the stand and under oath. There might be some who don’t like what happened but feel they have to be quiet right now.”
According to the most recent statistics released by the Ministry of the Attorney General, of the 320 people charged with criminal offences in the aftermath of the G20, just 86 are still before the courts.
Around 60 had charges diverted, pleaded guilty or were subjects of peace bonds. Just over half of those charged had their charges stayed or withdrawn, the bulk of those on the first day of mass court appearances.
In several cases, the withdrawal of charges led to a switch of focus to civil suits from criminal matters.
Clayton Ruby, for example, is preparing a civil suit on behalf of Charles Veitch, a British satirist charged under the act for failing to identify himself within five metres of the security fence. Ruby also defended him on the charges that were later withdrawn.
Another client, Natalie Gray, has sued Toronto police after they allegedly hit her with rubber bullets. She was charged with obstructing a police officer, but those charges were later withdrawn.
Ruby is also representing Dorian Barton, who claims officers assaulted him during the G20 weekend. The SIU closed an investigation into his case late last year after concluding there wasn’t enough evidence to lay charges, but new photos of the alleged assault have since emerged.
“The SIU is a fake agency,” Ruby says. “It’s a fraud and a sham. They’re not interested in investigating effectively.”
In Ruby’s view, the raft of G20 investigations is ineffective because each is too narrowly focused. “There’s no sign that enough pressure is going to be exerted to bring about a royal commission, and I can’t imagine anything less will do. So we’re left with the civil law system, which unfortunately only results in damages and publicity.”
Des Rosiers says she’s not surprised at the G20’s staying power in the public consciousness and expects it to remain a big file for the CCLA well into the future.
“What we have seen from people on the ground and from what our monitors saw presents a significant violation of civil rights that weekend. Our view is that the story has to be told, and accountability, no matter how long and how difficult it will be, needs to be brought to bear because what happened was unacceptable.
It takes some time for processes of accountability to unfold, so I think the story will be told for quite some time yet.”
Source: http://www.lawtimesnews.com
With a slew of reports, inquiries, reviews, class actions, criminal trials, and civil actions underway or still to come, the legal bills are threatening to add significantly to the famous billion-dollar security price tag.
Nathalie Des Rosiers, general counsel at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, continues to press for a single public inquiry into police actions that would consolidate at least some of the public probes. She insists it’s not too late to save money.
“When you have a multi-force policing effort, we ought to have had one public inquiry that has powers to compel testimony,” she says. “It’s sufficiently complex that a public inquiry would have been the cheaper and more comprehensive route. I think it would still be a cheaper route, but we’re still working with all the inquiries that are taking place.”
The CCLA is close to releasing its own report on G20 policing and public accountability after it held hearings in November. Des Rosiers says it’s also planning a book on the summit in addition to making submissions to most of the public inquiries underway.
One of the few proceedings yet to hear from the CCLA is the Toronto Police Services Board’s independent civilian review led by former associate chief justice John Morden.
Based at the offices of his firm, Heenan Blaikie LLP, Morden will make non-binding recommendations after tackling 35 questions posed by the review’s terms of reference about the board’s role in planning and leading the G20 security effort.
The review was only supposed to take 12 weeks when it was announced in July. But by the time of Morden’s selection, the deadline had become much more vague with no specific budget for the review.
Morden has been instructed to deliver monthly invoices while working at a rate of $480 per hour with other members of the small team remunerated on a sliding scale. Only the first month’s bill of $24,000 is publicly available so far, but the board is expected to approve additional costs at its next meeting in February.
Review counsel Ryan Teschner says there are four phases to the process: background research, document review, interviews, and report writing. After four months, he notes the team is just beginning the document review phase but he can’t say when it’ll be ready to hear from witnesses.
“We understand this review is being conducted with public money, so we are working hard to be as efficient and effective as possible and to make sure there is no overlap and no duplication of efforts,” Teschner says.
Former chief justice and Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP counsel Roy McMurtry has clearly cut the provincial government a deal for his review of the so-called secret law under the Public Works Protection Act.
He’s working at a bargain rate of $300 per hour. Joe Kim, spokesman for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, won’t say how much the review has spent so far. “We want to provide one final tally once the report is submitted,” he says. That’s expected in April, he adds.
Ontario ombudsman André Marin conducted his own review of the act using his office’s regular budget. The Special Investigations Unit also kept its probe of six allegations of police brutality in-house.
The new Office of the Independent Police Review Director has hired additional investigators in order to meet the demands of its systemic review of G20 policing, but spokeswoman Allison Hawkins says it’s difficult to isolate the cost of that in its overall budget.
In addition to the police services board proceedings, the Toronto Police Service is also conducting its own internal review related to the G20, although spokeswoman Meaghan Gray says it’s all within the normal budget.
The service has, however, hired Borden Ladner Gervais LLP to represent it in various G20-related civil suits, but Gray notes an insurer covers the legal fees.
Seeking to put a significantly larger dent into public coffers than any of the multitude of G20 reviews and investigations are two class action lawsuits launched within weeks of one another in the summer.
But before the litigants take on the police, they may have to face off against one another. Murray Klippenstein, the lawyer on a $45-million class action against Toronto police and the RCMP, says it’s likely only one of the matters will proceed. The members of his class include about 800 people arrested and released without charge during the G20.
David Midanik is the lawyer for a $115-million class action that represents all of those arrested — estimated at about 1,170 people — during the G20 weekend. He says it’s important to include those who were charged.
“Most of the people who were charged were at the forefront of exercising democratic rights, so in terms of preserving civil liberties and democratic rights, it’s essential those people get representation,” Midanik says.
Klippenstein, meanwhile, says he’s considering expanding his class to include those who faced charges that were later withdrawn or stayed.
Initially, Midanik’s matter also included business owners who suffered property damage during the summit. That’s no longer the case due to a fear it made the class too broad for certification. Both lawyers are preparing applications for certification, but neither expects a court hearing for months.
Adam Goodman acted for several of those charged by acting at bail hearings on a pro bono basis. Although most of them had their charges dropped at the first appearance in court, one of his clients is facing a trial in April.
Goodman says he’s looking forward to hearing testimony from police when trials get underway in courtrooms across the city next month.
“There’s been mostly silence from the police officers, but at trial, they’ll be on the stand and under oath. There might be some who don’t like what happened but feel they have to be quiet right now.”
According to the most recent statistics released by the Ministry of the Attorney General, of the 320 people charged with criminal offences in the aftermath of the G20, just 86 are still before the courts.
Around 60 had charges diverted, pleaded guilty or were subjects of peace bonds. Just over half of those charged had their charges stayed or withdrawn, the bulk of those on the first day of mass court appearances.
In several cases, the withdrawal of charges led to a switch of focus to civil suits from criminal matters.
Clayton Ruby, for example, is preparing a civil suit on behalf of Charles Veitch, a British satirist charged under the act for failing to identify himself within five metres of the security fence. Ruby also defended him on the charges that were later withdrawn.
Another client, Natalie Gray, has sued Toronto police after they allegedly hit her with rubber bullets. She was charged with obstructing a police officer, but those charges were later withdrawn.
Ruby is also representing Dorian Barton, who claims officers assaulted him during the G20 weekend. The SIU closed an investigation into his case late last year after concluding there wasn’t enough evidence to lay charges, but new photos of the alleged assault have since emerged.
“The SIU is a fake agency,” Ruby says. “It’s a fraud and a sham. They’re not interested in investigating effectively.”
In Ruby’s view, the raft of G20 investigations is ineffective because each is too narrowly focused. “There’s no sign that enough pressure is going to be exerted to bring about a royal commission, and I can’t imagine anything less will do. So we’re left with the civil law system, which unfortunately only results in damages and publicity.”
Des Rosiers says she’s not surprised at the G20’s staying power in the public consciousness and expects it to remain a big file for the CCLA well into the future.
“What we have seen from people on the ground and from what our monitors saw presents a significant violation of civil rights that weekend. Our view is that the story has to be told, and accountability, no matter how long and how difficult it will be, needs to be brought to bear because what happened was unacceptable.
It takes some time for processes of accountability to unfold, so I think the story will be told for quite some time yet.”
Source: http://www.lawtimesnews.com
1/13/2011
Toronto police sued over G20 injuries
TORONTO (CP) — A Toronto man is suing the police, alleging his shoulder was broken and he was denied proper care after his arrest at the G20 summit.
In a statement of claim Dorian Barton says he went to the legislature protest site on June 26 to observe and take pictures of the protest.
Barton alleges the protest was peaceful until Toronto police officers in riot gear rushed in and targeted random people for violent arrests.
Barton says while he was taking a picture of a police horse he was knocked to the ground by an officer with a riot shield and then "viciously assaulted" by six officers.
Hours after complaining of extreme pain, Barton says he was brought to the hospital and treated for a broken shoulder.
Source: http://thechronicleherald.ca
In a statement of claim Dorian Barton says he went to the legislature protest site on June 26 to observe and take pictures of the protest.
Barton alleges the protest was peaceful until Toronto police officers in riot gear rushed in and targeted random people for violent arrests.
Barton says while he was taking a picture of a police horse he was knocked to the ground by an officer with a riot shield and then "viciously assaulted" by six officers.
Hours after complaining of extreme pain, Barton says he was brought to the hospital and treated for a broken shoulder.
Source: http://thechronicleherald.ca
1/12/2011
Toronto man sues police after suffering injury during G20 arrest
TORONTO, Ont. - A Toronto man is suing the police, alleging his shoulder was broken and then he was denied proper care after his arrest during last June's G20 summit.
In a statement of claim, Dorian Barton said he went to the legislature protest site on June 26 simply to observe and take some photos of the protest.
Barton said that the protest was peaceful until Toronto police stepped in. He alleged that officers in riot gear targeted random people for violent arrests.
While Barton was taking a picture of a police horse, he said he was knocked to the ground by an officer with a riot shield, following which he was 'viciously assaulted' by six officers.
He said he was in extreme pain for hours before he was taken to a hospital and treated for a broken soldier.
Source: http://www.680news.com
In a statement of claim, Dorian Barton said he went to the legislature protest site on June 26 simply to observe and take some photos of the protest.
Barton said that the protest was peaceful until Toronto police stepped in. He alleged that officers in riot gear targeted random people for violent arrests.
While Barton was taking a picture of a police horse, he said he was knocked to the ground by an officer with a riot shield, following which he was 'viciously assaulted' by six officers.
He said he was in extreme pain for hours before he was taken to a hospital and treated for a broken soldier.
Source: http://www.680news.com
1/05/2011
Court may release G20 probe documents
An Ontario court will decide later this week whether to release details of the SIU investigation into charges of police brutality against Adam Nobody — who says he was assaulted during the G20 summit — a decision that could have an impact on another trial.
Nobody suffered a broken nose and a shattered cheekbone during his arrest in late June and later filed a brutality complaint against Toronto police.
On Tuesday, Toronto lawyer Mike Leitold said he wants to get his hands on the documents prepared by the province's Special Investigations Unit when it was investigating Nobody's complaint — because two of the officers involved in Nobody's arrest are also alleged to have beaten his client, Abbas Jama, 25.
Jama is on trial on weapons offences. He was arrested in June 2009 by two undercover officers — Todd Story and Luke Watson.
Jama alleges he was beaten by Story and Watson during his arrest.
In court it was revealed for the first time that the SIU investigated those same two officers in the Adam Nobody case. Nobody alleged that he was beaten twice by police on June 26.
One scuffle was caught on camera and a Toronto police officer has been charged in connection with that alleged assault. But Nobody says he was then taken to another obscured area and that's where he says undercover police continued beating him.
Propensity for violence
The SIU investigated but said it did not have any corroborating evidence and did not lay charges.
Lawyer Leitold said the alleged attack on Nobody and the alleged attack on Jama point to "a pattern of police brutality in a strikingly similar method ... and that the documents might show a propensity for violence."
But the Crown and five other lawyers representing the SIU and the Toronto police are opposed to releasing the documents.
Crown lawyer Danielle Scott said with Jama the officers "used three to five distractionary punches to handcuff Jama, as is necessary when someone is resisting."
Justice Rob Clark said he'll deliver a decision later this week on whether the SIU's documents will be disclosed.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/
Nobody suffered a broken nose and a shattered cheekbone during his arrest in late June and later filed a brutality complaint against Toronto police.
On Tuesday, Toronto lawyer Mike Leitold said he wants to get his hands on the documents prepared by the province's Special Investigations Unit when it was investigating Nobody's complaint — because two of the officers involved in Nobody's arrest are also alleged to have beaten his client, Abbas Jama, 25.
Jama is on trial on weapons offences. He was arrested in June 2009 by two undercover officers — Todd Story and Luke Watson.
Jama alleges he was beaten by Story and Watson during his arrest.
In court it was revealed for the first time that the SIU investigated those same two officers in the Adam Nobody case. Nobody alleged that he was beaten twice by police on June 26.
One scuffle was caught on camera and a Toronto police officer has been charged in connection with that alleged assault. But Nobody says he was then taken to another obscured area and that's where he says undercover police continued beating him.
Propensity for violence
The SIU investigated but said it did not have any corroborating evidence and did not lay charges.
Lawyer Leitold said the alleged attack on Nobody and the alleged attack on Jama point to "a pattern of police brutality in a strikingly similar method ... and that the documents might show a propensity for violence."
But the Crown and five other lawyers representing the SIU and the Toronto police are opposed to releasing the documents.
Crown lawyer Danielle Scott said with Jama the officers "used three to five distractionary punches to handcuff Jama, as is necessary when someone is resisting."
Justice Rob Clark said he'll deliver a decision later this week on whether the SIU's documents will be disclosed.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/
1/03/2011
Bullying, crime on Internet rises with social networking
Crime met social networking in 2010, as some of the most heinous human acts spilled over onto Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and streamed into social consciousness.
From photos being posted on Facebook of a 16-year-old girl being raped at a B.C. rave to video and commentary from the G20 riots in Toronto being shared on Twitter, crime is becoming difficult to avoid in a connected world.
Cyberbullying is reaching an epidemic point, said Sidneyeve Matrix, an assistant media professor at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.
"Bullying isn't new," Matrix said. "Peer pressure isn't new. But it's been amplified. It's not just on the playground anymore -- it's 24/7."
The prevalence of crime appearing on social media platforms is becoming much more vast -- and is very public -- Matrix said.
More youths are sexting -- sending sexually explicit messages, photos and videos. In 2010, a string of U.S. suicides were reportedly related to young people being outed online as homosexuals And there are mounting concerns about the production and distribution of child pornography on social networks -- some of it unwittingly by uneducated minors.
"The power of these publishing platforms is pretty astounding," Matrix said. "It can be so devastating when people don't realize the reverberations."
Many Canadians don't have as much digital literacy as they should, Matrix said. But she expects to see some of that change over the coming years, especially as those in the generation Y age group approaches child-rearing age.
"Gen-Y is pretty web-savvy and will use the web to push back (against some of the crime and bullying)," she said.
Social media will play an increasingly important role in participatory citizenship, Matrix said, pointing to the G8/G20 meetings as an example.
The summit this summer in Toronto was a "game changer" for how Canadians interacted with social media, she said.
Organizers used social networks sites to post updates as the demonstrations unfolded in Toronto and activists and rioters interacted with police -- sometimes violently.
The summit was also a turning point for law enforcement's interaction with social media, said Scott Mills, the Toronto Police Force's social media officer.
"After the G20, the decision-makers could really see ... this is something we should do and started asking, how do we do this?" Mills said.
Social media allows police to have a two-way conversation, he said.
Mills said the use of social media has allowed Toronto police to stop at least five youth suicides, intervene ahead of two possible school shootings, prevent some gang-related activity, investigate suspected terrorist plots and deter bullying.
Society shouldn't be intimidated by social media, he said. "We really do have to look at paradigm shifts."
Social media can be used for social good but any communication tools can also be used for other purposes, Matrix said. "But participatory citizenship is happening if you're plugged in or not."
Police will be using social networks even more in 2011, Mills said.
"It's going to be more interactive. If it's a one-way conversation, it's not going to be any different then what we've done before," he said.
Source: http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca
From photos being posted on Facebook of a 16-year-old girl being raped at a B.C. rave to video and commentary from the G20 riots in Toronto being shared on Twitter, crime is becoming difficult to avoid in a connected world.
Cyberbullying is reaching an epidemic point, said Sidneyeve Matrix, an assistant media professor at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.
"Bullying isn't new," Matrix said. "Peer pressure isn't new. But it's been amplified. It's not just on the playground anymore -- it's 24/7."
The prevalence of crime appearing on social media platforms is becoming much more vast -- and is very public -- Matrix said.
More youths are sexting -- sending sexually explicit messages, photos and videos. In 2010, a string of U.S. suicides were reportedly related to young people being outed online as homosexuals And there are mounting concerns about the production and distribution of child pornography on social networks -- some of it unwittingly by uneducated minors.
"The power of these publishing platforms is pretty astounding," Matrix said. "It can be so devastating when people don't realize the reverberations."
Many Canadians don't have as much digital literacy as they should, Matrix said. But she expects to see some of that change over the coming years, especially as those in the generation Y age group approaches child-rearing age.
"Gen-Y is pretty web-savvy and will use the web to push back (against some of the crime and bullying)," she said.
Social media will play an increasingly important role in participatory citizenship, Matrix said, pointing to the G8/G20 meetings as an example.
The summit this summer in Toronto was a "game changer" for how Canadians interacted with social media, she said.
Organizers used social networks sites to post updates as the demonstrations unfolded in Toronto and activists and rioters interacted with police -- sometimes violently.
The summit was also a turning point for law enforcement's interaction with social media, said Scott Mills, the Toronto Police Force's social media officer.
"After the G20, the decision-makers could really see ... this is something we should do and started asking, how do we do this?" Mills said.
Social media allows police to have a two-way conversation, he said.
Mills said the use of social media has allowed Toronto police to stop at least five youth suicides, intervene ahead of two possible school shootings, prevent some gang-related activity, investigate suspected terrorist plots and deter bullying.
Society shouldn't be intimidated by social media, he said. "We really do have to look at paradigm shifts."
Social media can be used for social good but any communication tools can also be used for other purposes, Matrix said. "But participatory citizenship is happening if you're plugged in or not."
Police will be using social networks even more in 2011, Mills said.
"It's going to be more interactive. If it's a one-way conversation, it's not going to be any different then what we've done before," he said.
Source: http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca
12/27/2010
Six months after G20 - was it worth it?
With graphic scenes of burning police cruisers and corralled protesters combating peace officers, June’s G20 summit caused a global commotion. Yet, with so many residual effects, was this meeting of government and financial leaders worth it?
No, said Kezio Mauronik, a downtown resident who calls himself a non-confrontational opponent to what many feel was a wasteful weekend.
“With the aftermath overshadowing the actual meetings, I don’t think many people who weren’t directly involved even know what the summit was about anymore,” he said. “Toronto citizens should not have been subjected to such a blatant disruption.”
Mauronik said he sees both sides of how the weekend erupted into disarray.
“Contrary to the popular line put forth by the police and the media, anarchy isn’t about breaking things,” he asserts. “What happened to police cars and shop windows was vandalism. To describe those acts as anarchism is pure ignorance.
“Still, it was disturbing to see the use of police force first-hand, something you’d expect in dictatorial countries, not Canada. As a normal citizen prompted to peacefully protest by our then-mayor, I shouldn’t have been subjected to that.”
Mauronik said he holds political leaders accountable for allowing Hogtown to be subjected to the debacle while “disowning the entire thing.”
A report by Ontario Ombudsman André Marin found that police were hastily granted greater powers by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services via an amendment to the Public Works Protection Act.
Marin said the revision created “martial law ... in the city of Toronto, leading to the most massive compromise of civil liberties in Canadian history.” His report calls for revision of the PWPA and a review of what powers police may receive under the act.
In response, Toronto police Chief Blair said, “I think it’s important that the public be assured that we’re all taking this very seriously” and noted five officers accused of using extreme force had been identified with more to come.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said the province acted with “good intention” yet was rash in allowing the law alteration. “The police were given additional authority. We moved too quickly to provide that authority,” he said.
Last Tuesday, Const. Babak Andalib-Goortani was charged with assault with a weapon in the takedown of a protester near the Ontario legislature during the summit.
Source: Metronews.ca
http://www.metronews.ca
No, said Kezio Mauronik, a downtown resident who calls himself a non-confrontational opponent to what many feel was a wasteful weekend.
“With the aftermath overshadowing the actual meetings, I don’t think many people who weren’t directly involved even know what the summit was about anymore,” he said. “Toronto citizens should not have been subjected to such a blatant disruption.”
Mauronik said he sees both sides of how the weekend erupted into disarray.
“Contrary to the popular line put forth by the police and the media, anarchy isn’t about breaking things,” he asserts. “What happened to police cars and shop windows was vandalism. To describe those acts as anarchism is pure ignorance.
“Still, it was disturbing to see the use of police force first-hand, something you’d expect in dictatorial countries, not Canada. As a normal citizen prompted to peacefully protest by our then-mayor, I shouldn’t have been subjected to that.”
Mauronik said he holds political leaders accountable for allowing Hogtown to be subjected to the debacle while “disowning the entire thing.”
A report by Ontario Ombudsman André Marin found that police were hastily granted greater powers by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services via an amendment to the Public Works Protection Act.
Marin said the revision created “martial law ... in the city of Toronto, leading to the most massive compromise of civil liberties in Canadian history.” His report calls for revision of the PWPA and a review of what powers police may receive under the act.
In response, Toronto police Chief Blair said, “I think it’s important that the public be assured that we’re all taking this very seriously” and noted five officers accused of using extreme force had been identified with more to come.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said the province acted with “good intention” yet was rash in allowing the law alteration. “The police were given additional authority. We moved too quickly to provide that authority,” he said.
Last Tuesday, Const. Babak Andalib-Goortani was charged with assault with a weapon in the takedown of a protester near the Ontario legislature during the summit.
Source: Metronews.ca
http://www.metronews.ca
12/22/2010
Cop union blasts media over stakeout
Toronto Police's union boss is upset that media staked out the home of a cop charged with assaulting a G20 protester.
In a statement released Wednesday, association president Mike McCormack said media went to the home of Babak Andalib-Goortani on Tuesday after the Special Investigations Unit announced the constable was charged with assault with a weapon in connection with the beating initially suffered by Adam Nobody in June.
"These intrusions into the officer’s family life were inappropriate and inconsiderate," McCormack said.
Nobody also told the SIU he was beaten a second time by plainclothes officers after he was arrested at Queen's Park, the designated free speech zone for the G20 conference that was cleared by police in riot gear on June 26.
Media also tried to speak with Andalib-Goortani's spouse, McCormack said.
"The officer’s family has the right to go about their lives without being hounded by the media," he said. "His family are in no way related to the charge against the officer and have the right to be left alone."
He said "the media frenzy at the SIU building" when the officer was served with a summons and "the associated excessive publicity" can impact the officer’s right to a fair trial, and asked the media to stay away.
Andalib-Goortani is to appear in court next on Jan. 24.
By ROB LAMBERTI, Toronto Sun
Source: Toronto Sun
http://www.torontosun.com/
In a statement released Wednesday, association president Mike McCormack said media went to the home of Babak Andalib-Goortani on Tuesday after the Special Investigations Unit announced the constable was charged with assault with a weapon in connection with the beating initially suffered by Adam Nobody in June.
"These intrusions into the officer’s family life were inappropriate and inconsiderate," McCormack said.
Nobody also told the SIU he was beaten a second time by plainclothes officers after he was arrested at Queen's Park, the designated free speech zone for the G20 conference that was cleared by police in riot gear on June 26.
Media also tried to speak with Andalib-Goortani's spouse, McCormack said.
"The officer’s family has the right to go about their lives without being hounded by the media," he said. "His family are in no way related to the charge against the officer and have the right to be left alone."
He said "the media frenzy at the SIU building" when the officer was served with a summons and "the associated excessive publicity" can impact the officer’s right to a fair trial, and asked the media to stay away.
Andalib-Goortani is to appear in court next on Jan. 24.
By ROB LAMBERTI, Toronto Sun
Source: Toronto Sun
http://www.torontosun.com/
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