Alec Baldwin, Mike Lindell, and Fox News Cases, Sandeson Parole Hearing, C.P. Allen Student Fit for Trial, NS Judge Denies Bias Appeal but Criticizes Trial Judge
This week in law, I look at prominent cases in the United States and Nova Scotia. The charges against Alec Baldwin, arising from the shooting on the Rust movie set, have been dropped by special prosecutors brought in to handle the matter. My Pillow founder, and prominent election denier/conspiracy theorist, Mike Lindell, has been ordered to pay $5 million to a software forensics expert who won a contest to "Prove Mike Wrong". This case reminds me of one of the first contracts cases every law student learns, the Carbolic Smoke Ball case from 1892. Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems have settled DVS's defamation claim against Fox for $787 million. I compare that to the most famous Canadian defamation case, Hill v. Church of Scientology. In Nova Scotia, the Court broadcast the parole eligibility hearing of William Sandeson, the almost med student who was recently convicted of killing a fellow Dal student. Also in NS, the 15 year old student from CP Allen High School in Bedford who is accused of attempted murder after bringing a knife to school, has been found fit to stand trial. I review what I see as several problems with the way this case is unfolding. Finally, I review the appeal decision on my former colleague, Donn Fraser, who was found not guilty at trial of criminal harassment of another former colleague. The appeal has little to do with the lawyers allegedly involved in the dispute, but rather focuses on the Judge who acquitted Mr. Fraser. Justice Gabriel of the Supreme Court of NS was highly critical of Judge Begin of the Provincial Court for his interactions with Crown Prosecutor Darcy MacPherson. I disagree with some of Justice Gabriel's conclusions, and in doing so discuss the relationships between judges and lawyers, the obligations of the judge to be free from bias, and how it is the job of the lawyer to understand and be respectful of the judge before whom they are appearing.
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