Gerald Stanley Not Guilty
- Thread starter petros
- Start date
Appeal in death of indigenous man claims self-defence
Canadian Press
Published:
September 30, 2019
Updated:
September 30, 2019 2:50 PM EDT
Jon Styres, who was fatally shot by Peter Khill on Feb. 4, 2016.
The legalities of self-defence and what constitutes “reasonable” actions are the focus of the Crown’s appeal of a Hamilton-area homeowner’s acquittal in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Indigenous man in 2016.
Peter Khill, of Binbrook, was found not guilty in 2018 of second-degree murder in the death of Jon Styres of the Six Nations of the Grand River in southern Ontario.
Khill testified at trial that his training as a military reservist — he served from 2007 to 2011 — kicked in when he heard a noise outside his home in the early morning hours on Feb. 4, 2016, then grabbed his shotgun and loaded it. Court heard Khill left his house quietly, did not call 911 or turn on the outside lights, and snuck up on Styres.
He said he saw a shadowy figure leaning into his truck, then the man made a move with his hands — which is when Khill shot him twice.
Prosecutor Susan Reid said Monday at the Court of Appeal for Ontario that the key question in the Crown’s case is, “Did the respondent act reasonably in lawful self-defence?”
She said the provisions of self-defence discuss what a “reasonable” person would do in the same situation, and Khill did not act reasonably.
Peter Khill, charged with second-degree murder, leaves court in Hamilton on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel
The trial judge made four errors, Reid said, including when he directed the jury to consider Khill’s military training as a factor in his self-defence.
“The military training is not a relevant characteristic for a reasonable person,” said Reid. “It is relevant in the accused’s subjective belief and for how he behaved, but not a characteristic for a reasonable person.”
The lower court heard Styres, 29, was shot in the chest and through the back of his arm and into his chest. He died minutes later.
The Crown said the lower court judge essentially created a “reasonable reservist,” rather than a reasonable person.
“That is not what the self-defence provisions were intended to address,” Reid said. “That is creating too subjective a standard.”
Khill’s lawyer argued in court documents that the judge did not make a mistake, and the military training could not have made a difference in the verdict.
Hamilton-area homeowner acquitted in shooting death of man
Fate of homeowner in shooting death of Indigenous man now with jury
Hamilton man reacted 'proactively' in shooting death of Indigenous man, lawyer says
“There was no difference between the reasonable actions of a member of the military and the reasonable person in these circumstances — both would have reasonably fired to preserve their own or others’ safety,” Khill’s legal team stated in court documents.
Khill sat in court on Monday with his wife and friends, while friends and family of Styres packed the other side of the courtroom, most wearing orange shirts with the slogan, “Every child matters.”
Khill’s acquittal set off outrage among the Six Nations community, which subsequently banned him for life.
Six Nations Chief Ava Hill said at the time the court’s decision left the Indigenous community with no faith in the justice system.
The trial echoed a high-profile case in Saskatchewan where a white farmer, Gerald Stanley, was acquitted in the 2016 shooting death of a young Indigenous man, Colten Boushie.
http://torontosun.com/news/provincial/appeal-in-death-of-indigenous-man-claims-self-defence
Canadian Press
Published:
September 30, 2019
Updated:
September 30, 2019 2:50 PM EDT
Jon Styres, who was fatally shot by Peter Khill on Feb. 4, 2016.
The legalities of self-defence and what constitutes “reasonable” actions are the focus of the Crown’s appeal of a Hamilton-area homeowner’s acquittal in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Indigenous man in 2016.
Peter Khill, of Binbrook, was found not guilty in 2018 of second-degree murder in the death of Jon Styres of the Six Nations of the Grand River in southern Ontario.
Khill testified at trial that his training as a military reservist — he served from 2007 to 2011 — kicked in when he heard a noise outside his home in the early morning hours on Feb. 4, 2016, then grabbed his shotgun and loaded it. Court heard Khill left his house quietly, did not call 911 or turn on the outside lights, and snuck up on Styres.
He said he saw a shadowy figure leaning into his truck, then the man made a move with his hands — which is when Khill shot him twice.
Prosecutor Susan Reid said Monday at the Court of Appeal for Ontario that the key question in the Crown’s case is, “Did the respondent act reasonably in lawful self-defence?”
She said the provisions of self-defence discuss what a “reasonable” person would do in the same situation, and Khill did not act reasonably.
Peter Khill, charged with second-degree murder, leaves court in Hamilton on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel
The trial judge made four errors, Reid said, including when he directed the jury to consider Khill’s military training as a factor in his self-defence.
“The military training is not a relevant characteristic for a reasonable person,” said Reid. “It is relevant in the accused’s subjective belief and for how he behaved, but not a characteristic for a reasonable person.”
The lower court heard Styres, 29, was shot in the chest and through the back of his arm and into his chest. He died minutes later.
The Crown said the lower court judge essentially created a “reasonable reservist,” rather than a reasonable person.
“That is not what the self-defence provisions were intended to address,” Reid said. “That is creating too subjective a standard.”
Khill’s lawyer argued in court documents that the judge did not make a mistake, and the military training could not have made a difference in the verdict.
Hamilton-area homeowner acquitted in shooting death of man
Fate of homeowner in shooting death of Indigenous man now with jury
Hamilton man reacted 'proactively' in shooting death of Indigenous man, lawyer says
“There was no difference between the reasonable actions of a member of the military and the reasonable person in these circumstances — both would have reasonably fired to preserve their own or others’ safety,” Khill’s legal team stated in court documents.
Khill sat in court on Monday with his wife and friends, while friends and family of Styres packed the other side of the courtroom, most wearing orange shirts with the slogan, “Every child matters.”
Khill’s acquittal set off outrage among the Six Nations community, which subsequently banned him for life.
Six Nations Chief Ava Hill said at the time the court’s decision left the Indigenous community with no faith in the justice system.
The trial echoed a high-profile case in Saskatchewan where a white farmer, Gerald Stanley, was acquitted in the 2016 shooting death of a young Indigenous man, Colten Boushie.
http://torontosun.com/news/provincial/appeal-in-death-of-indigenous-man-claims-self-defence
Okotoks rancher Eddie Maurice files counterclaim against intruder he shot on his property
Kevin Martin
Published:
October 8, 2019
Updated:
October 8, 2019 6:00 PM EDT
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia
Okotoks rancher Eddie Maurice, who is being sued by the trespasser he shot on his rural property, has come out swinging in a counterclaim.
In court documents filed Tuesday, Maurice is seeking $150,000 in damages against intruder Ryan Watson, the man who filed a lawsuit against him last month in connection with a Feb. 24, 2018, incident on Maurice’s Okotoks property.
Watson is claiming $100,000 against Maurice, who fired two warning shots at him before he and an accomplice fled the defendant’s property after rummaging through two vehicles.
One of the bullets ricocheted and struck Watson in the arm.
In his counterclaim disputing Watson’s lawsuit, filed along with a statement of defence by lawyer Scott Chimuk, Maurice said the plaintiff was the victim of his own doing.
It said Watson failed to heed Maurice’s warnings to leave the property as he was going through the rancher’s vehicles, forcing the defendant to fire two shots into the ground.
The incident had a significant effect on Maurice and his family, it said.
Edouard Maurice smiles outside court in Okotoks, Alberta, on June 22, 2018, after his charges were dropped. Leah Hennel / Postmedia
“Mr. Maurice suffered from mental distress, anxiety, nightmares and a fear of repetition due to the criminal incident,” the counterclaim said.
“Given that he lives in a rural community, he continues to worry for the safety of his wife and two infant daughters.”
Watson was handed a 45-day sentence in February on charges of mischief and breaching probation in connection with his early morning intrusion onto Maurice’s land.
But because he had already served enough so-called dead time, Watson left Okotoks provincial court that day without doing any more time behind bars.
Court was told Maurice called police to report he fired two warning shots at two intruders.
A short time later, Watson, suffering a wound to his arm, was attended to by EMS, who took him to hospital for treatment.
KMartin@postmedia.com
Twitter: @KMartinCourts
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/ok...laim-against-intruder-he-shot-on-his-property
Kevin Martin
Published:
October 8, 2019
Updated:
October 8, 2019 6:00 PM EDT
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia
Okotoks rancher Eddie Maurice, who is being sued by the trespasser he shot on his rural property, has come out swinging in a counterclaim.
In court documents filed Tuesday, Maurice is seeking $150,000 in damages against intruder Ryan Watson, the man who filed a lawsuit against him last month in connection with a Feb. 24, 2018, incident on Maurice’s Okotoks property.
Watson is claiming $100,000 against Maurice, who fired two warning shots at him before he and an accomplice fled the defendant’s property after rummaging through two vehicles.
One of the bullets ricocheted and struck Watson in the arm.
In his counterclaim disputing Watson’s lawsuit, filed along with a statement of defence by lawyer Scott Chimuk, Maurice said the plaintiff was the victim of his own doing.
It said Watson failed to heed Maurice’s warnings to leave the property as he was going through the rancher’s vehicles, forcing the defendant to fire two shots into the ground.
The incident had a significant effect on Maurice and his family, it said.
Edouard Maurice smiles outside court in Okotoks, Alberta, on June 22, 2018, after his charges were dropped. Leah Hennel / Postmedia
“Mr. Maurice suffered from mental distress, anxiety, nightmares and a fear of repetition due to the criminal incident,” the counterclaim said.
“Given that he lives in a rural community, he continues to worry for the safety of his wife and two infant daughters.”
Watson was handed a 45-day sentence in February on charges of mischief and breaching probation in connection with his early morning intrusion onto Maurice’s land.
But because he had already served enough so-called dead time, Watson left Okotoks provincial court that day without doing any more time behind bars.
Court was told Maurice called police to report he fired two warning shots at two intruders.
A short time later, Watson, suffering a wound to his arm, was attended to by EMS, who took him to hospital for treatment.
KMartin@postmedia.com
Twitter: @KMartinCourts
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/ok...laim-against-intruder-he-shot-on-his-property
Bell: Take that! Eddie Maurice fights back against bad guy
Rick Bell
Published:
October 8, 2019
Updated:
October 8, 2019 10:09 PM EDT
Rancher Eddie Maurice and his wife Jessica are overwhelmed with support for their legal battle. Eddie is being sued by a man who was attempting to steal from his rural property.File / Postmedia
Talk about fighting back.
If anybody shouldn’t have to fight back, if anybody should be able to go on with his life, it’s Eddie Maurice.
But we live in strange times where everything is upside down.
“We’re going to fight this every step of the way,” says Eddie Maurice’s wife Jessie, on this day when Eddie sues the bad guy who sued him.
“We’re not going to tolerate victims being sued by criminals who’ve committed crimes against them.”
Jessie is being polite when she says it’s a slap in the face, Eddie being sued by the guy who was up to no good on their property.
Now, they get to tell their side of the story and the toll it’s taken on their family.
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia
One early morning in February last year, on Eddie Maurice’s birthday, a guy named Ryan Watson and a sidekick trespass on the property of Eddie and his family, near Okotoks.
Eddie is alone with his 11-month-old daughter.
In Eddie’s counterclaim, he recounts how Ryan and his pal unlawfully enter his family’s vehicles parked in front of their home “with the apparent intent to burglarize.”
By the way, throughout Eddie’s counterclaim, Watson is referred to as the Convicted Criminal Trespasser.
Eddie alleges Watson was hopped up on meth. Eddie believed Watson could harm his family.
Eddie says he warned Watson to stop going through his vehicles. Watson did not.
Eddie fired a warning shot from his .22 rifle. He aimed at the ground in front of the family vehicles. Eddie was on the front porch and couldn’t fire upwards because of an overhanging awning.
Watson didn’t give a damn about the shot. Eddie fired a second warning shot aimed at the ground between the two vehicles while Watson was inside one of them.
Watson and his partner high-tailed it out of there. We later found out Watson was hit in the forearm in what was said to be a ricocheting shot.
Eddie phoned the Mounties. About two hours later the cops showed up with guns drawn and handcuffs ready and arrested Eddie. Months later and after six court appearances, the prosecutor withdrew the charges.
Last month, Watson sued Eddie for $100,000. Watson pointed to his wounded forearm, the pain and discomfort, migraine headaches, emotional upset, severe fatigue and post-traumatic stress disorder.
That’s not the whole laundry list of alleged woes.
On Tuesday, Eddie sues Watson.
After that February morning, Eddie has nightmares and fears a repeat of what had happened.
He worries for the safety of his wife and two young daughters, the oldest suffering like her dad.
His wife Jessie needed counselling and medication and suffered a miscarriage. Eddie and Jessie and their kids became isolated from their extended family.
Eddie missed work. At Jessie’s popular doggie daycare, Eddie’s wife had to delay a planned expansion.
Watson wants $100,000. Eddie’s number is $150,000 and “punitive damages to deter convicted criminals from launching lawsuits against their innocent victims.”
At this point, a whole lot of people are no doubt saying: Right on!
Doug Schweitzer is the province’s top lawman. He speaks out as few politicians do, since many worship at the altar of political correctness.
He’s frustrated knowing Eddie is still being dragged through the courts.
“It could have been anyone in rural Alberta and they could be facing this same re-victimization. This is wrong. This is not justice.”
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
Schweitzer says he’s taking a serious look at what the provincial government can do to make sure no one else faces a crap show like the one Eddie and his family endures.
For Eddie’s wife Jessie, it’s disheartening to be back in the court system.
She and Eddie believe the so-called justice system failed them. They have lost faith in it and they are far from alone.
Watson got a tap on the wrist for his wrongdoing. It wasn’t even a slap on the wrist. At least the judge didn’t hug him.
Eddie was put through the wringer and then is sued by Watson. The Maurice family will relive that February early morning all over again. They will have to fight all over again.
Your blood just has to boil. What’s right, what’s wrong? What’s good, what’s evil? What is justice, what is truth?
The people running the show in this country have lost their way and, because of them, we are losing ours.
“We weren’t the bad guys here,” says Jessie, speaking what she shouldn’t have to speak.
“Eddie wasn’t the bad guy.”
No, he wasn’t. But it’s become harder and harder to see if that even matters.
rbell@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/bell-take-that-eddie-maurice-fights-back-against-bad-guy
Rick Bell
Published:
October 8, 2019
Updated:
October 8, 2019 10:09 PM EDT
Rancher Eddie Maurice and his wife Jessica are overwhelmed with support for their legal battle. Eddie is being sued by a man who was attempting to steal from his rural property.File / Postmedia
Talk about fighting back.
If anybody shouldn’t have to fight back, if anybody should be able to go on with his life, it’s Eddie Maurice.
But we live in strange times where everything is upside down.
“We’re going to fight this every step of the way,” says Eddie Maurice’s wife Jessie, on this day when Eddie sues the bad guy who sued him.
“We’re not going to tolerate victims being sued by criminals who’ve committed crimes against them.”
Jessie is being polite when she says it’s a slap in the face, Eddie being sued by the guy who was up to no good on their property.
Now, they get to tell their side of the story and the toll it’s taken on their family.
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia
One early morning in February last year, on Eddie Maurice’s birthday, a guy named Ryan Watson and a sidekick trespass on the property of Eddie and his family, near Okotoks.
Eddie is alone with his 11-month-old daughter.
In Eddie’s counterclaim, he recounts how Ryan and his pal unlawfully enter his family’s vehicles parked in front of their home “with the apparent intent to burglarize.”
By the way, throughout Eddie’s counterclaim, Watson is referred to as the Convicted Criminal Trespasser.
Eddie alleges Watson was hopped up on meth. Eddie believed Watson could harm his family.
Eddie says he warned Watson to stop going through his vehicles. Watson did not.
Eddie fired a warning shot from his .22 rifle. He aimed at the ground in front of the family vehicles. Eddie was on the front porch and couldn’t fire upwards because of an overhanging awning.
Watson didn’t give a damn about the shot. Eddie fired a second warning shot aimed at the ground between the two vehicles while Watson was inside one of them.
Watson and his partner high-tailed it out of there. We later found out Watson was hit in the forearm in what was said to be a ricocheting shot.
Eddie phoned the Mounties. About two hours later the cops showed up with guns drawn and handcuffs ready and arrested Eddie. Months later and after six court appearances, the prosecutor withdrew the charges.
Last month, Watson sued Eddie for $100,000. Watson pointed to his wounded forearm, the pain and discomfort, migraine headaches, emotional upset, severe fatigue and post-traumatic stress disorder.
That’s not the whole laundry list of alleged woes.
On Tuesday, Eddie sues Watson.
After that February morning, Eddie has nightmares and fears a repeat of what had happened.
He worries for the safety of his wife and two young daughters, the oldest suffering like her dad.
His wife Jessie needed counselling and medication and suffered a miscarriage. Eddie and Jessie and their kids became isolated from their extended family.
Eddie missed work. At Jessie’s popular doggie daycare, Eddie’s wife had to delay a planned expansion.
Watson wants $100,000. Eddie’s number is $150,000 and “punitive damages to deter convicted criminals from launching lawsuits against their innocent victims.”
At this point, a whole lot of people are no doubt saying: Right on!
Doug Schweitzer is the province’s top lawman. He speaks out as few politicians do, since many worship at the altar of political correctness.
He’s frustrated knowing Eddie is still being dragged through the courts.
“It could have been anyone in rural Alberta and they could be facing this same re-victimization. This is wrong. This is not justice.”
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
Schweitzer says he’s taking a serious look at what the provincial government can do to make sure no one else faces a crap show like the one Eddie and his family endures.
For Eddie’s wife Jessie, it’s disheartening to be back in the court system.
She and Eddie believe the so-called justice system failed them. They have lost faith in it and they are far from alone.
Watson got a tap on the wrist for his wrongdoing. It wasn’t even a slap on the wrist. At least the judge didn’t hug him.
Eddie was put through the wringer and then is sued by Watson. The Maurice family will relive that February early morning all over again. They will have to fight all over again.
Your blood just has to boil. What’s right, what’s wrong? What’s good, what’s evil? What is justice, what is truth?
The people running the show in this country have lost their way and, because of them, we are losing ours.
“We weren’t the bad guys here,” says Jessie, speaking what she shouldn’t have to speak.
“Eddie wasn’t the bad guy.”
No, he wasn’t. But it’s become harder and harder to see if that even matters.
rbell@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/bell-take-that-eddie-maurice-fights-back-against-bad-guy
Eddie made one terrible mistake at the time of the incident. He failed to shoot Watson in the back of the head!
The dumbass judge seems to have failed to realize that Watson had no reason to be on the Maurice property in the first place so the injury is essentially his own fault. The crown needs to fire the judge for incompetence..
Last edited:
Bell: Did RCMP suggest trespasser sue Eddie Maurice?
Rick Bell
Published:
October 18, 2019
Updated:
October 18, 2019 7:00 AM EDT
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia
Another case from the You Can’t Make This Stuff Up file.
Eddie Maurice is in the news again and when he came across this news a few days back it was beyond all comprehension.
He was baffled, bewildered, mystified. He didn’t understand it. There was only one question. The Mounties did what?
The Mounties suggested the dude who victimized him turn around and sue him?
The Mounties said that?
You have to got to be kidding. But then again it’s the RCMP.
Stephen Nelson talked to CBC. Nelson is the lawyer for Ryan Watson, the bad guy who is suing Eddie.
The radio host asks Nelson where Watson got the idea to go after Eddie and his family for damages.
Talk about a gobsmacking answer.
“Actually the RCMP, I believe he told me, advised him that it wasn’t a bad idea to do or actually suggested he do it,” says Nelson, the lawyer.
The host sounds as taken aback as the rest of us. He knows he’s got a fish now he just has to reel it in.
“The RCMP suggested he sue the Maurices?”
Nelson answers: “Correct.”
The lawyer says he believes it’s the RCMP in Okotoks.
As for the RCMP, not known as the greatest communicators on Planet Earth, they issue a statement.
They don’t do themselves any favours. If they think this statement will calm the storm, they better find another weatherman.
“While we can’t say for certain, it is possible that in the heat of the moment, and in response, an officer could have retorted that the subject could pursue civil actions if they felt justice was not being served.”
There’s more.
“RCMP officers never give official legal advice on the justice system.”
No. Nothing “official.”
Let’s stop here. Hands up. How many are happy with the RCMP response?
Come on. Don’t be shy. Thought so.
Eddie says if the Mounties did advise the bad guy, “it’s just another way our justice system has failed me.”
“Haven’t my family been through enough? Now hearing the RCMP told the criminal to sue me: When is this nightmare going to end?”
Rancher Eddie Maurice and his wife Jessica. File / Postmedia
Watson is suing Eddie Maurice for $100,000 in pain and suffering and a yet-to-be-determined amount for lost income and expenses because he was hit in the forearm by what was said to be a ricocheting warning shot.
Watson’s lawyer says his client was doing something wrong but the force used was not reasonable. It was excessive.
Once hit with the lawsuit, Eddie filed a counterclaim against Watson for $150,000. Two can play that game.
But sadly, it isn’t a game. It’s all very real. In fact, Eddie and his family are the victims they never thought they’d be. And this tale is far from over.
The story is Watson and another individual trespassing on the property of Eddie and his family.
In the wee hours of the morning, Eddie was alone with his 11-month-old daughter.
In his counterclaim, Eddie recalls how the trespassers entered his family’s vehicles “with the apparent intent to burglarize.”
Eddie feared for his family. Eddie says he warned Watson to stop. Watson didn’t. Eddie fired a warning shot. Nothing. He then fired again at the ground between the two vehicles while Watson was in one of them.
Watson and his pal got the hell out. Later we found out Watson was hit in the arm by the ricocheting shot.
Eddie called the cops. Two hours later they came, arrested him, put him in jail and he faced six court appearances and possible prison time before the prosecution dropped the charges.
Now here we are with the latest chapter. Was there a mouthy Mountie putting ideas into the bad guy’s head?
Eddie has been off work for the past two weeks. The strain of all this crap is just too much.
He’s looking for answers.
Doug Schweitzer is the province’s justice minister. Justice is his job description. He’s Alberta’s top lawman.
“If this is true, it’s absolutely unacceptable. When people hear stories like this they lose faith in the RCMP,” he says.
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
Schweitzer will be sitting down with the top Mountie in Alberta and they will have a lot on their plate, especially on the rural crime front.
Schweitzer says he will ask about this story and what went down. He wants “the straight-goods truth.”
And if the straight-goods truth isn’t pretty for the RCMP, he wants them to make sure it never happens again. Period.
The plot thickens and you can smell it from here.
rbell@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/bell-did-rcmp-suggest-trespasser-sue-eddie-maurice
Rick Bell
Published:
October 18, 2019
Updated:
October 18, 2019 7:00 AM EDT
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia
Another case from the You Can’t Make This Stuff Up file.
Eddie Maurice is in the news again and when he came across this news a few days back it was beyond all comprehension.
He was baffled, bewildered, mystified. He didn’t understand it. There was only one question. The Mounties did what?
The Mounties suggested the dude who victimized him turn around and sue him?
The Mounties said that?
You have to got to be kidding. But then again it’s the RCMP.
Stephen Nelson talked to CBC. Nelson is the lawyer for Ryan Watson, the bad guy who is suing Eddie.
The radio host asks Nelson where Watson got the idea to go after Eddie and his family for damages.
Talk about a gobsmacking answer.
“Actually the RCMP, I believe he told me, advised him that it wasn’t a bad idea to do or actually suggested he do it,” says Nelson, the lawyer.
The host sounds as taken aback as the rest of us. He knows he’s got a fish now he just has to reel it in.
“The RCMP suggested he sue the Maurices?”
Nelson answers: “Correct.”
The lawyer says he believes it’s the RCMP in Okotoks.
As for the RCMP, not known as the greatest communicators on Planet Earth, they issue a statement.
They don’t do themselves any favours. If they think this statement will calm the storm, they better find another weatherman.
“While we can’t say for certain, it is possible that in the heat of the moment, and in response, an officer could have retorted that the subject could pursue civil actions if they felt justice was not being served.”
There’s more.
“RCMP officers never give official legal advice on the justice system.”
No. Nothing “official.”
Let’s stop here. Hands up. How many are happy with the RCMP response?
Come on. Don’t be shy. Thought so.
Eddie says if the Mounties did advise the bad guy, “it’s just another way our justice system has failed me.”
“Haven’t my family been through enough? Now hearing the RCMP told the criminal to sue me: When is this nightmare going to end?”
Rancher Eddie Maurice and his wife Jessica. File / Postmedia
Watson is suing Eddie Maurice for $100,000 in pain and suffering and a yet-to-be-determined amount for lost income and expenses because he was hit in the forearm by what was said to be a ricocheting warning shot.
Watson’s lawyer says his client was doing something wrong but the force used was not reasonable. It was excessive.
Once hit with the lawsuit, Eddie filed a counterclaim against Watson for $150,000. Two can play that game.
But sadly, it isn’t a game. It’s all very real. In fact, Eddie and his family are the victims they never thought they’d be. And this tale is far from over.
The story is Watson and another individual trespassing on the property of Eddie and his family.
In the wee hours of the morning, Eddie was alone with his 11-month-old daughter.
In his counterclaim, Eddie recalls how the trespassers entered his family’s vehicles “with the apparent intent to burglarize.”
Eddie feared for his family. Eddie says he warned Watson to stop. Watson didn’t. Eddie fired a warning shot. Nothing. He then fired again at the ground between the two vehicles while Watson was in one of them.
Watson and his pal got the hell out. Later we found out Watson was hit in the arm by the ricocheting shot.
Eddie called the cops. Two hours later they came, arrested him, put him in jail and he faced six court appearances and possible prison time before the prosecution dropped the charges.
Now here we are with the latest chapter. Was there a mouthy Mountie putting ideas into the bad guy’s head?
Eddie has been off work for the past two weeks. The strain of all this crap is just too much.
He’s looking for answers.
Doug Schweitzer is the province’s justice minister. Justice is his job description. He’s Alberta’s top lawman.
“If this is true, it’s absolutely unacceptable. When people hear stories like this they lose faith in the RCMP,” he says.
Rancher Eddie and his wife Jessica Maurice were among many who came out for a rural crime town hall meeting with the Hon. Doug Schweitzer Minister of Justice and Solicitor General at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
Schweitzer will be sitting down with the top Mountie in Alberta and they will have a lot on their plate, especially on the rural crime front.
Schweitzer says he will ask about this story and what went down. He wants “the straight-goods truth.”
And if the straight-goods truth isn’t pretty for the RCMP, he wants them to make sure it never happens again. Period.
The plot thickens and you can smell it from here.
rbell@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/bell-did-rcmp-suggest-trespasser-sue-eddie-maurice
Bell: Victory! Eddie and Jessie Maurice tell their story
Rick Bell
Published:
January 16, 2020
Updated:
January 16, 2020 9:50 PM EST
Rancher Eddie Maurice and his wife Jessica were photographed at their lawyer’s offices on Thursday, January 16, 2020. Maurice was being sued by the trespasser he shot on his rural property but that case has now been dropped. Gavin Young/Postmedia
Eddie and Jessie Maurice planned to celebrate by taking their kids to the Big Rock Inn in Okotoks for the famous Chinese food buffet.
Teal is turning 3 next month, her birthday is a couple of days after Dad’s. Delilah is 6.
They’ve seen what their mom and dad have had to go through for almost two years.
They don’t know the why, they don’t know the what, but they know it’s been hard.
Dad arrested on his birthday by RCMP with their guns at the ready when he didn’t do anything wrong. He just defended his family.
Story continues below
Dad going to court six times even though all he did was stand up to two people who came to the family home and rummaged through the family vehicles in the middle of the night, looking to steal.
Dad getting sued by Ryan Watson, one of the lawbreakers who happened to be hit in the forearm by a ricochet warning shot.
Now that is over, faster than Eddie and Jessie ever imagined. Just before their pitbull lawyer Scott Chimuk was going to push for the lawsuit to be dropped, the criminal trespasser Watson raised the white flag.
Now there’s no lawsuit. Now there’s no new trial. Eddie continues to have the support of Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Hell, the Alberta government even changed the law so the bad guy can’t sue the good guy in these cases. It’s officially called Bill 27 and it was meant to cover Eddie.
It should be called the Eddie Maurice Law.
On a scale of 1 to 10, it is a 10 day for Eddie. He can think clearly. Nothing hanging over his head. Nothing in the back of his mind. No waking up and thinking about what could happen. No stressing out about it.
“I don’t have to think about this ever again,” says Eddie.
Of course, Eddie and Jessie will look back at the past events changing their lives and what it means for the future.
After the Mounties took Eddie to jail, Eddie and Jessie talked on the phone.
They knew this case could blow up. Plenty of people were fed up with criminals preying on them, viewing them as easy marks living in the country.
The couple had two choices. Stay out of the limelight, keep their heads down and keep quiet, fight it out in court and hope it would just go away.
The second choice was to stand up for all of us to see and hear and feel, stand up for those many souls who, but for the grace of God, could find themselves in Eddie’s boots.
Some folks told the couple they couldn’t fight the system. It was too big and too rotten.
The couple talked about how Eddie might go to jail. But they refused to go down what Jessie calls “a rabbit hole of worry and despair.”
There were simple signs of support. One day outside the Okotoks courthouse, a banner appeared and folks came forward and signed their names.
We Support Eddie Maurice, it read.
Eddie says he could get through the tough times knowing he was part of something bigger than himself, knowing there was a greater good.
People gather outside the Okotoks Provincial Court Building on Friday, March 9, 2018, to show support for local landowner Edouard Maurice, who had been accused of shooting an intruder on his ranch. Al Charest / Postmedia
Chimuk, Eddie’s lawyer, is glad justice is done this day.
“We didn’t pay a penny, a cent, a nickel, a dime. We paid nothing. The case is dropped.”
You can hear the happiness in the voice of Doug Schweitzer, Alberta’s top lawman. He’s happy knowing the relief Eddie and his family must feel.
“They’ve been through too much,” says the man who made the Eddie Maurice Law a reality.
Eddie realizes you cannot go back to life as it was. When he sees a vehicle coming down the road he thinks about what they’re doing there. He’s looking over his shoulder.
But there are good things coming. The family can now plan a trip to Disneyland instead of living their lives around the next court date.
Eddie is stronger. Eddie is also a man resolved to make a mark in a world needing more men and women with his courage and determination.
“If the good guys don’t stand up against the bad guys, then the bad guys will always walk all over us,” says Eddie.
“This is one of those times the good guys needed to stand up.”
And he stood up. He stood tall. He stood tall and he won.
We won.
rbell@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/bell-victory-eddie-and-jessie-maurice-tell-their-story
Rick Bell
Published:
January 16, 2020
Updated:
January 16, 2020 9:50 PM EST
Rancher Eddie Maurice and his wife Jessica were photographed at their lawyer’s offices on Thursday, January 16, 2020. Maurice was being sued by the trespasser he shot on his rural property but that case has now been dropped. Gavin Young/Postmedia
Eddie and Jessie Maurice planned to celebrate by taking their kids to the Big Rock Inn in Okotoks for the famous Chinese food buffet.
Teal is turning 3 next month, her birthday is a couple of days after Dad’s. Delilah is 6.
They’ve seen what their mom and dad have had to go through for almost two years.
They don’t know the why, they don’t know the what, but they know it’s been hard.
Dad arrested on his birthday by RCMP with their guns at the ready when he didn’t do anything wrong. He just defended his family.
Story continues below
Dad going to court six times even though all he did was stand up to two people who came to the family home and rummaged through the family vehicles in the middle of the night, looking to steal.
Dad getting sued by Ryan Watson, one of the lawbreakers who happened to be hit in the forearm by a ricochet warning shot.
Now that is over, faster than Eddie and Jessie ever imagined. Just before their pitbull lawyer Scott Chimuk was going to push for the lawsuit to be dropped, the criminal trespasser Watson raised the white flag.
Now there’s no lawsuit. Now there’s no new trial. Eddie continues to have the support of Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Hell, the Alberta government even changed the law so the bad guy can’t sue the good guy in these cases. It’s officially called Bill 27 and it was meant to cover Eddie.
It should be called the Eddie Maurice Law.
On a scale of 1 to 10, it is a 10 day for Eddie. He can think clearly. Nothing hanging over his head. Nothing in the back of his mind. No waking up and thinking about what could happen. No stressing out about it.
“I don’t have to think about this ever again,” says Eddie.
Of course, Eddie and Jessie will look back at the past events changing their lives and what it means for the future.
After the Mounties took Eddie to jail, Eddie and Jessie talked on the phone.
They knew this case could blow up. Plenty of people were fed up with criminals preying on them, viewing them as easy marks living in the country.
The couple had two choices. Stay out of the limelight, keep their heads down and keep quiet, fight it out in court and hope it would just go away.
The second choice was to stand up for all of us to see and hear and feel, stand up for those many souls who, but for the grace of God, could find themselves in Eddie’s boots.
Some folks told the couple they couldn’t fight the system. It was too big and too rotten.
The couple talked about how Eddie might go to jail. But they refused to go down what Jessie calls “a rabbit hole of worry and despair.”
There were simple signs of support. One day outside the Okotoks courthouse, a banner appeared and folks came forward and signed their names.
We Support Eddie Maurice, it read.
Eddie says he could get through the tough times knowing he was part of something bigger than himself, knowing there was a greater good.
People gather outside the Okotoks Provincial Court Building on Friday, March 9, 2018, to show support for local landowner Edouard Maurice, who had been accused of shooting an intruder on his ranch. Al Charest / Postmedia
Chimuk, Eddie’s lawyer, is glad justice is done this day.
“We didn’t pay a penny, a cent, a nickel, a dime. We paid nothing. The case is dropped.”
You can hear the happiness in the voice of Doug Schweitzer, Alberta’s top lawman. He’s happy knowing the relief Eddie and his family must feel.
“They’ve been through too much,” says the man who made the Eddie Maurice Law a reality.
Eddie realizes you cannot go back to life as it was. When he sees a vehicle coming down the road he thinks about what they’re doing there. He’s looking over his shoulder.
But there are good things coming. The family can now plan a trip to Disneyland instead of living their lives around the next court date.
Eddie is stronger. Eddie is also a man resolved to make a mark in a world needing more men and women with his courage and determination.
“If the good guys don’t stand up against the bad guys, then the bad guys will always walk all over us,” says Eddie.
“This is one of those times the good guys needed to stand up.”
And he stood up. He stood tall. He stood tall and he won.
We won.
rbell@postmedia.com
So palistine where the actual semites is is for the zionists who are not semites...i though palistien never existed.
OO
lol, Not much point in hanging in clown land with you gretas.
You genocidal racist retards deserve your own forum.
Seven counties in seven years...
see ya round sleeperz...ya coward.
OO
lol, Not much point in hanging in clown land with you gretas.
You genocidal racist retards deserve your own forum.
Seven counties in seven years...
see ya round sleeperz...ya coward.
Colten Boushie’s family calls for justice on Stanley acquittal anniversary
I have 2 thoughts here
1) How come they have no outrage over the 100's of indigenous persons selected for jury duty that didn't show up?
2) How much did Trudeau pay them with his tear filled apology and change to the system that is now seeing many retrials of convicted fellons
I have 2 thoughts here
1) How come they have no outrage over the 100's of indigenous persons selected for jury duty that didn't show up?
2) How much did Trudeau pay them with his tear filled apology and change to the system that is now seeing many retrials of convicted fellons
Aided and abetted by the kid's grandmother who was present but hardly accountable when the group began drinking whiskey at her house........then the same unaccountable grandmother let them go for a drunken joy ride.
Where were all these caring people before the incident happened. Colten came from a family rife with criminals as numerous police reports have detailed over the years. By turning a blind eye to the fact that Colten had been in trouble before and was desperately in need of someone to show him the error of his ways, the community which includesTootoosis bears at least partial responsibility for his ill-fated journey down that dirt road. It is all well and good to for them to blame Canadians and Canadian governments but in doing so it would behoove them to acknowledge their role in this tragedy.