Cobb St. Pierre Lewis

Reasonable Doubt: There is a pot farm on my property

awa — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:00:21 +0000

A friend of a reader owns a very large rural property. The whole property is not visible from the house and long periods of time will pass during which parts of it will go unobserved. One fall day, he decides to go for a walk on his property with his girlfriend. Far at the back of the property, an area not often visited, he comes across what used to be a large crop of marijuana. It had been harvested, but there was still a lot left. What should he do?

http://www.straight.com/article-460991/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-there-pot-farm-my-property

Reasonable Doubt: The folly of Canada’s get-tough-on-crime stance, Part 1

awa — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:00:52 +0000

The tough stance our current government takes with criminal justice means that people who aren’t violent and not a danger to society may end up spending inordinate amounts of time in jail. For example, in 2007 and again in 2009, the Harper government announced its intention to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and impose a mandatory two-year jail term for those convicted of running a marijuana grow operation with 500 plants or more. This hasn’t happened yet but if and when it does, this amendment does not take into consideration the profile of a typical accused person charged with production of marijuana.

http://www.straight.com/article-453476/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-folly-canadas-gettoughoncrime-stance-part-1

Reasonable Doubt: Bail can cost you

awa — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:32 +0000

You’re all familiar with the term bail. But what exactly is it? When do you get it? What do you have to do to get it? People need bail when they are arrested, charged, and held in custody in situations where the police want to keep them in jail until trial. Bail gets you out of jail until trial, but depending on who you are and what the charges are, the freedom bail provides comes with a price.

http://www.straight.com/article-447026/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-bail-can-cost-you

Reasonable Doubt: Entering or leaving Canada, you’re at the mercy of border guards

awa — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 19:00:58 +0000

The bottom line is, when you’re at the border, you’re at the mercy of border guards. It’s written in legislation that you’re required to be truthful when answering their questions. Border guards have a wide-ranging ability to thoroughly question you, search your belongings, and depending on the circumstances, to search your person. The consequences of being caught in lies or with illicit material can have devastating effects on your life, such as being red flagged and subject to a more thorough examination every time you cross the border, the seizure of money or goods, or being criminally charged.

http://www.straight.com/article-442301/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-entering-or-leaving-canada-youre-mercy-border-guards

Reasonable Doubt: Are lawyers liars?

awa — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:00:24 +0000

Are lawyers unethical? Do they scheme and plot to subvert justice? Or scheme and plot to screw their clients over? Or at least take all their money?

This has been a saddening but an unsurprising response to some of our articles. Saddening, because it’s hard to become a lawyer and even harder to remain a lawyer once you are one. Unsurprising, because myths and jokes about the general moral depravity of lawyers are common and unoriginal.

http://www.straight.com/article-434181/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-are-lawyers-liars

Reasonable Doubt: Musings on lie detector tests, police, and the law

awa — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:00:56 +0000

The use of polygraphs, aka lie detector tests, is controversial. Very simply, a polygraph measures physiological responses (i.e. changes in respiration rate, heart rate, blood pressure, or skin conductance) people have to certain questions, and the examiner interprets those measurements to conclude whether the person being examined is lying or telling the truth.

http://www.straight.com/article-423292/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-musings-lie-detector-tests-police-and-law

Reasonable Doubt: What to do when you’ve been accused of sexual assault

awa — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:00:32 +0000

I got a follow-up question this week from a reader who saw a Straight article by Stephen Hui about a poster campaign. One of the controversial posters depicts a woman unconscious on the couch with the caption “Just Because She Doesn’t Say No… Doesn’t Mean She Says Yes”. Needless to say, the poster and article generated pages of comments from readers, and I received a call from one such reader who wondered what men can do to protect themselves if they find themselves being investigated for sexual assault.

http://www.straight.com/article-418217/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-what-do-when-youve-been-accused-sexual-assault

Reasonable Doubt: When those sworn to serve and protect fall from grace

awa — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:00:08 +0000

This week, I’m choosing to comment on two news stories about police officers straying from the law. First, a former RCMP officer, Staff Sgt. Ross Spenard was sentenced to a nine-month conditional sentence order in Vancouver provincial court after pleading guilty to perjury on June 24. Second, disgraced ex-Vancouver police officer Peter Hodson was in Vancouver provincial court on July 26 for the continuation of his sentencing hearing for one count of drug trafficking and two counts of breach of trust. His sentencing continues at a later date.

http://www.straight.com/article-412837/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-when-those-sworn-serve-and-protect-fall-grace

Reasonable Doubt: Protecting your privacy is the legal issue of our time

awa — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:00:45 +0000

Technology has given us new ways to communicate and manage our affairs, but it has also made us more vulnerable to monitoring by the state and private corporations alike. I think most people would agree that violating someone’s privacy in order to make a buck or two (or two billion) is reprehensible. But what about violating an individual’s privacy in the same way in order to fight crime—should we tolerate that?

http://www.straight.com/article-405672/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-protecting-your-privacy-legal-issue-our-time

Reasonable Doubt: Has B.C.’s law enforcement gone to pot?

awa — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:00:38 +0000

Welcome to this week’s pot-themed column. B.C. has a reputation for its marijuana trade and lenient law enforcement when it comes to simple possession. This week, we received several questions about what response can be expected from the criminal justice system when it comes to marijuana:

”I always thought that it wasn’t a big deal to smoke a joint out in public here in the Lower Mainland. There are always lots of people smoking weed out in public, especially in the summer on the beach, for example. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine was hassled by the police for smoking a joint. I didn’t think that happened anymore.”

”What would happen if I just grew one pot plant? Would I get into a lot of trouble? “

http://www.straight.com/article-404086/vancouver/reasonable-doubt-has-bcs-law-enforcement-gone-pot