A judge in an Ontario court allowed Tamara Lich, the organizer of the Freedom Convoy, to hear a new bail hearing, stating that another court’s previous decision on her detention was “apparently inappropriate.” rice field.
During a bail examination on July 26, Judge Andrew Goodman of the Ontario Superior Court said that justice of the peace Paul Harris had made a “wrong” conclusion when he refused Rich’s bail on July 8. Said.
On June 27, Lich was re-arrested in his hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta, under a warrant across Canada for violating the bail conditions of not being able to contact the organizers of his fellow convoys.
Prosecutor Crown alleged that Lich violated bail conditions at the awards ceremony in Toronto on June 16. There she was awarded the 2022 George Jonas Freedom Award by the Judicial Center for Constitutional Freedom.
As evidence, the crown presents a photo of Lich and fellow convoy organizer Tom Marazzo taken at the event, and a brief video showing Lich sitting at the table where Marazzo and others are sitting. did.
Rich’s defense argued that “less than three seconds of congratulatory exchange” after Rich gave a speech at the award dinner would not lead to illegal activity.
After a series of bail hearings, Justice of the Peace stands by the crown on July 8 for Rich choosing to sit at the table with Marazo and believes she can justify the interaction. Said, “It’s absolutely ridiculous.” With Marazzo by putting her lawyer in the room, even though her bail conditions stipulate that there should be no communication with the convoy organizer except in the presence of a counsel. The court heard testimony that her lawyer, who attended the June 16 event, approved the photos of Rich and Marazzo.
Harris also said Rich continues Bringing risks to public safetyBecause some Freedom Convoy protests are still sometimes held in Ottawa.
Attorneys later applied for bail examination, which began on July 25.
New bail hearing allowed
On the second day of today’s bail review, Goodman said Harris had “wrong” conclusions and “misunderstood” evidence against Rich when he determined that Harris had broken the bail terms.
He said that the belief that an individual commits a criminal offense does not provide a valid reason for detention, and bail poses a substantial risk of committing a crime or interfering with the judicial administration. He said it should only be rejected.
He saidhere was number evidence Indicates that Rich has done something in connection with the alleged breachthat right dangerous the protection Also safety of the public” And will lead to a breach Her bail conditions..
“The applicant has no criminal record and has been charged with a completely non-violent crime, and the alleged new breach is not treated as a serious breach that the justice of the peace needs to address, but with the protection of the public. It doesn’t mean security, in a criminal situation, “Goodman said.
Goodman also made a legal error in supporting the idea that Rich is responsible for providing evidence at the bail hearing that lawyers attended the June 16 event where Harris and Marazzo interacted. He said he had committed.
He said, “Last 25 years,” the King said.a maximum Sentence of Ten Year For mischief that’s all $ 5,000, Also flat a prison Sentence For that Matter. ”
“The vulnerable victims of the February free truck convoy protests are certain that people like Lich and Marazzo will continue to fear the protests recur,” Goodman said in a previous hearing. When he insisted, he said it was an “exaggeration.” They are allowed to continue communicating and socializing in ways they consider legal. “
“There was no direct or circumstantial evidence of such fear, eliciting inferences that it was due to less than three seconds of public interaction at the awards ceremony, group photos and related contacts. That’s not rational. A potential breach would reasonably cause such fear, “Goodman said.
With Goodman setting aside Lich’s detention order, the court moved directly to a new round of bail trials this afternoon.
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Rich, who has been detained since his recent arrest on June 27, is a major organizer of a truck driver’s free convoy protest held in downtown Otawa for more than three weeks to protest the federal COVID-19 vaccine. Mandatory facing a trial of her role as a person.
Lich was first arrested on February 17 on charges of mischief, counseling for mischief, and police obstruction after the Liberal government issued an emergency law to quell protests.
After being initially denied bail, Rich was released in March on many conditions, including lack of contact with fellow convoy organizers.
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Andrew Chen is a Toronto-based Epoch Times reporter.