I have been in High Court several times. Once for 2 guys who caused a Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision & then left the scene, another was a Break & Enter to a liquor store by backing a truck through the window and fled which got me into a high speed chase. During the high speed chase the guy smashed a car out of the way to get away and injured an older couple seriously another was for arresting a guy for a series of break-ins totalling $100,000.00 and the last was for a guy I caught in a stolen car.
What you have to understand is that in Canadian Law to have a jury trial you have passed several steps. Your normal way is for your first appearance, then you come back with a lawyer to decide what you are going to do. In some offenses you can opt for a Preliminary Hearing where the Crown presents his evidence to see if there IS enough evidence to go to trial. If the Judge decides there is enough evidence then they have the choice in some offenses to elect Judge alone or Judge & jury. Our every day courts do not have juries.
Of the cases I mentioned the longest sentence given (for the break-in with injury) the guy got 2 years plus one day and time served in custody. You might ask what's up with the 2yrs + a day? Under our system if you get 2yrs less a day you serve your time in a provincial institution. With 2yrs + a day you go to a federal prison. Normally country club vs jail. He bragged on the way out of court he would be out in 10 months & he was. Back doing crimes. In Canadian law life in jail is 25yrs with allowances for parole after a certain amount of time in jail, normally after 14 years. Jail isn't the end al be all in all case, but............
What I like about the U.S. court system, in a case like this when found guilty of serious crimes U.S. judges will sentence the murderer to 10 life sentences. So if our 2 systems are the same and doing the math they are going away for 250 years. Parole would kick in after 140-160 years. How many people do you see walking, talking at 140-160 years...............I won't tell you what the 2 guys who were involved in the fatal got. The sentencing made me sick to my stomach.
Some may ask, "Don't you think you have a never ending job or why do it"? My answer, they commit the crime, we investigate make arrests and then it is up to the courts. I can sleep at night............:huh:
I enjoy what I do otherwise I wouldn't be here..........after 30yrs I could go on & on but :huh:
Bob
1967 Plymouth Fury 1
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