Day three of Lent

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Bishop Raymond Lahey has another court date today, Friday, 19 February 2010.  I had been thinking of going but decided against. 

I menetioned before that I arrived there last week and it was all wrapped up a few days earlier.  Well, here is what happened.  The court date had been set on Wednesday 03 February 2010 for 9 am 12 February 2010 in courtroom #8.  As I mentioned in that blog, the date had momentarily been set for 05 February 2010, and then there was some talk about the judge which was difficult to catch and then a rapid change to 12 February 2010 – all agreeing that their calendars were open for that date and time.

Something changed. 

On 05 February Lahey’s defence filed an application to change the date to 08 February 2010.   According to the Application,

“Application is made for the following exceptional circumstances:

“This matter was previously set for trial readiness court on Feb. 12, 2010 to be spoken to.  However, Counsel will be unavailable and wishes to bring the matter forward to be spoken to on February 8, 2010.”

I did sit in on proceedings in courtroom #8 last week.  It apparently is the courtroom which deals with issues related to trial readiness, i.e., one defence lawyer was asking for an extension because other charges had been brought forward against his client, others were seeking delays for whatever reason.  It seems to me it’s like remand court but a step closer trial?

No matter, I think anything of interest which had to be said in public would have been addressed on the 8th.  I missed it 🙁  What they’re up to tomorrow I have not the foggiest, but I don’t think I’ll be missing much – it’s like a sausage factory in there too :).

As it stands it would seem that things are stuttering along toward trial – no plea therefore seems it must be a ‘not guilty’?

Of interest, Lahey’s high profile lawyer Michael Edelson has now been retained by Colonel Russell Williams.  (Williams is in custody at the Quinte detention Centre.  That’s the same place they had poor Perry locked up for a spell- possibly even the same cell? )   

Edelson also briefly represented Jacques Leduc

And, of course, while all of this plays out, the sex abuse allegations against Roman Catholic priest and now retired Chaplain General of the Canadian Armed Forces chaplain Monsignor Roger Bazin loom large.

I said I would be getting more info here.  I have been doing a bit of digging around but have to delve into files related to the lawsuit launched against me by now deceased priest, Father Lorne Whalen.  Whalen had been a military chaplain for a spell – just before he surfaced in the sanctuary of my church.  Bazin was Chaplain General at the time.

The action against me was dropped after six long years.  

The action was also against the Ottawa Sun.  The Sun had been going to see the case to trial but, unfortunately, decided at the 11 th hour it would be cheaper to pay Whalen a few thousand dollars than go to trial.  Such a shame.

 Anyway, I have raft of files related to the lawsuit which I must go through now.  In light of the charges against Bazin I will most definitely share what may be of interest. 

****

Day 3 of Lent.  One bishop (Raymond Lahey) heading toward trial of kiddie porn charges, the former Chaplain General/Brigadier General (Roger Bazin) of the armed forces facing child sex abuse charges, and the Colonel of the Trenton, Ontario Air Force base (Russell Williams) facing charges of murder, sexual assault and who knows what.

God help us.

****

I have several emails to answer.  I will do so next week.  It’s been a bad week health-wise for my husband and self, plus boxes from finally Ireland arrived and I have been up to my ears unpacking and getting things squared away.  I’m still at it, but getting there.  This nearly brings to close the long painful journey which started last August.  It’s been a difficult time. 

Enough for now,

Sylvia

(cornwall@theinquiry.ca)

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7 Responses to Day three of Lent

  1. AbsentObserver says:

    There will definitely be a plea of not guilty and a trial. The Crown attorney (David Elhadad, who’s handled some high-profile cases at the Ottawa court house) says he plans to call at least 16 witnesses. Edelson won’t have to indicate whether or not Lahey intends to call evidence until the Crown’s case is done.
    I wonder who the Crown witnesses will be? Obviously people who searched Lahey’s computer at the airport, and the experts who later examined it. And maybe a detective or two. I wonder if there will be civilian witnesses? Who might they be?

  2. Sylvia says:

    Thanks AbsentObserver. And I just hear on the news. Trial set for 26 April to 16 May.

    So, the ‘good’ bishop is indeed going to trial! It should prove to be a very very VERY interesting trial.

    I wonder if the Crown plans to call Shane Earle? I wouldn’t be surprised, but suppose it depends on how much money they want to invest in the trial?

    Ditto Father Molloy? But – depending on what he has to say – perhaps he would better serve Lahey as a defence witness?

    And what about Arcbishop Penney? Or would he claim poor health?

    What about any “alleged” young victims in the porn? Is there any chance any of those poor souls have been tracked down? and of yes, would they be willing to testify?

  3. Sylvia says:

    I just read the Ottawa Citizen report on the trial. It says 2011. Here it is:

    Trial date set for bishop on child-porn charges

    The Ottawa Citizen

    February 19, 2010 10:02 AM

    OTTAWA — Catholic Bishop Raymond Lahey is to go on trial in April 2011 on charges that he was caught with images of child pornography on his computer at the Ottawa airport.

    The trial has been set for April 26 that year, with court time booked until May 16.

    Assistant Crown attorney David Elhadad said prosecutors expect to call 16 witnesses.

    Lahey, 69, was in charge of the diocese of Antigonish, in Nova Scotia, until last summer.

    © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
    Is that a mistake? A typo?

    Surely it can’t be 2011? I am looking for other reports but can’t find any just yet. If anyone has THE YEAR, never mind the months please let us know.

  4. Sylvia says:

    It is 2011!!! It really and truly is. I just got this on the CFRA website:

    Lahey Trial to Start in April, 2011
    Melanie Adams
    Friday, February 19, 2010

    Roman Catholic Bishop Raymond Lahey’s child pornography trial will start in Ottawa on April 26th, 2011.

    It’s scheduled to run until May 16th.

    The 69-year-old was charged in Ottawa last fall, after images were found on a computer at the Ottawa Airport.
    That’s over a year away!!!

    Does Lahey stay holed up at Kilborn Ave. in Ottawa for the next year? Have his bail conditions changed?

    I am shaking my head in absoluter disbelief.

    Is Edelson too busy with Willaims?

    Will it take a year to mount a decent case?

    What the heck is going on?

    At this rate, with the potential of another delay or two thrown into the mix, Lahey will be ready to reach out and grab onto the handy-dandy Section 11b of the Charter.

  5. AbsentObserver says:

    Setting dates for trial is not an exact science, as I’m sure you know. Many factors have to be taken into account. Availability … the defence needs to be ready, as does the Crown … the witnesses have to ready … cops have to be prepared … a judge has to be available … as well as court staff.

    Also, it’s going to take the Crown some time to get their ducks in a row in this case. If what’s been reported is true and investigators really did find thousands of images on Lahey’s computer, someone is going to have go through every single file to determine whether each one is actually child pornography.

    I remember when a man in Cornwall was charged with possession of child pornography and it took the police months to go through his computer in order to compile the evidence necessary to support the charges at trial.

    The length of time between now and the start of the trial doesn’t surprise. In many murder cases, years go by between the time of an arrest and the trial itself. For example, at the conclusion of a recent murder trial in Ottawa, the person who was ultimately found guilty of manslaughter was given 15 years in prison, but he’d already served six-and-a-half years behind bars from the time he was arrested until the trial.

    The wheels of justice most often move at a snail’s pace. But at least they move.

  6. Reality Checker says:

    “The wheels of justice most often move at a snail’s pace. BUT AT LEAST THEY MOVE.”

    …and I’m still standing and breathing!!!

    THAT’s A GOOD THING!

    🙂

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