Trial Date
Announced!
Well, well, maybe the beautiful Arthur Erickson building will be put to use soon, with the Basi-Virk trial, or as I prefer to call it anymore, the BC Rail Trial. Yesterday afternoon I heard (or I thought I heard) on the CBC radio during one of the newscasts that a trial date had been set, and that the judge was intending to block out six months of court time for the matter. The rest of the day though I was unable to confirm this as I couldn't find it aired again, on radio or the evening news on TeeVee. Thanks to the Vancouver Sun, I now consider it official as the current edition states unequivocally that:
Trial of former government aides could take as long as six months, pre-trial conference told
Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, April 11, 2007
VANCOUVER - The trial of two former provincial government aides accused of corruption could take up to six months to complete, the trial judge heard Tuesday.
During discussions between lawyers and B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett, one estimate of the trial's length was 120 days, the equivalent of six months of court time, based on the fact a trial sits five days a week or 20 days a month.
The trial was to begin Monday but now will start two days later, on April 18, at the Vancouver Law Courts.
This certainly isn't the first time we've had a date for trial set in this matter, and even if it does begin next week it will start with disclosure issues and Charter challenges from the defense. Also both the defense and prosecution teams have already begun making noises about their pending summer "vacations." I would tend to think that if I were accused of something three years ago I would already be aquitted or doing my time. Of course the government wouldn't be likely to be trying to conceal evidence in a case involving me, or would they? Well in my case as long as they conceal evidence that would tend to convict me, go for it. I do want all exonerating evidence out there though with flashing lights and alarms on it.
All we can do now is stay tuned for next week, I know I will!
posted by kootcoot at 7:00 AM
2 Comments:
I was present... the defendents lawyers said in ref to your comment.."it will start with disclosure issues and Charter challenges from the defense" - that Charter challenges will take place after everything, rather than before. Or at least that's what I understood to be the case. My apologies if this is incorrect. I have very bad hearing and I had great difficulty making out a lot of what was said.
Koot,
Rob Cottingham has an interesting little commentary on his blog about how the three aides appear to have lost their political affiliation along with the identities of their employers.
I should re-read your editorial but I think you've just followed the template too, eh?
Now that should scare you. Me too.
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