Prorogation Means the End of Some Long-Awaited Legislation With the suspension of Parliament, the good dies with the bad. Some legal observers are lamenting the loss of some much-anticipated legislation. Others are breathing sighs of relief, however, that among the dead bills are many deserving casualties. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has prorogued Parliament with 37 bills yet to be passed, more than a dozen of which are criminal justice laws introduced as part of the Tories' tough-on-crime agenda. [continues 855 words]
Investing In Communities, Offering Alternatives Key To Eliminating Street Crime, Forum Told By the time young men involved in gangs begin to face charges in court, it is usually far too late. Early intervention and diversion are key to preventing young people from joining street gangs, according to speakers at a community forum last night at the Jim Durrell Recreation Complex on Walkley Road. "The criminal justice system doesn't have the answers to gang problems," said Walter Devenz, an assistant Crown attorney who regularly prosecutes gang crime. [continues 526 words]
How A Groundbreaking Ottawa Court Program Is Diverting Young People With Mental Illness Away From The Justice System And Toward The Help They Need When 15-year-old "David" punched his mother in the face and shoved his grandmother headfirst into a table, he was unprovoked, according to the police report presented in the most unusual court in the city, if not the entire country. It did not take much to send the developmentally delayed boy into a rage, his lawyer told Justice Dianne Nicholas, who presides over Ottawa's youth mental health court, the only one in Canada devoted to helping young offenders with psychiatric problems. [continues 3373 words]
Tim Shufelt The Ottawa Citizen Ottawa's long wait for a youth drug treatment centre will soon come to an end, says Police Chief Vern White. In fact, he says he is going to start raising money for the project himself. With the province on board, Chief White met with Municipal Affairs Minister and Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Jim Watson yesterday to discuss the timing of an announcement and approaches to raising money. "I've always said, 'If we build it, they'll come.' Now I've got to live up to my end, and we have to get some private-sector support," Chief White said. [continues 224 words]
Biker Gang Reeling From A Series Of Successful Police Operations In Canada OTTAWA -- Sonny Barger is the so-called American legend who founded the Hells Angels' feared Oakland chapter in 1957, the surly badass and the clever entrepreneur who built a small band of thugs into a global empire of drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal weapons and violence. He boasted for years the Angels were invulnerable to informants and undercover agents. But while the world's most notorious biker gang celebrates its 60th anniversary this month, it is reeling from a series of successful police operations -- particularly in Canada. [continues 599 words]
The law may have finally figured out how to bring down the notorious gang, which evolved from a small group of bikers 60 years ago into a global criminal empire. Tim Shufelt reports. "We can't be infiltrated, no cops can get inside on us, they don't have the resources, the manpower, or the time to wait. We're unbeatable and untouchable." -- Sonny Barger, Hells Angels kingpin, quoted in the 2007 book Running with the Devil, by Kerrie Droban. For police, the hardest thing to stomach was that Sonny Barger was telling the truth. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was untouchable by law enforcement and invulnerable to informants and undercover agents. [continues 2417 words]
B.C. Trial; 'They Just Knew The Angels Do Not Have Informants' OTTAWA - Sonny Barger is the so-called American legend who founded the Hells Angels' feared Oakland chapter in 1957, the surly badass and the clever entrepreneur who built a small band of thugs into a global empire of drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal weapons and violence. He boasted for years the Angels were invulnerable to informants and undercover agents. But while the world's most notorious biker gang celebrates its 60th anniversary this month, it is reeling from a series of successful police operations -- particularly in Canada. [continues 501 words]
