Law Times

www.lawtimesnews.com Page 16 January14, 2008 / Law Times CHanGeS on tHe WaY FoR oPeninG oF CouRtS Ontario's new chief justice will unveil a revamped Opening of the Courts ceremony this year, after moving what used to be a January ceremony to Sept. 9, ac- cording to a spokeswoman from the Superior Court of Justice. Chief Justice Warren Win- kler, who was appointed to the post last June, saw January as a difficult time to get partici- pants together and find time to prepare speeches, says Lee-ann misetich, project and judicial liaison officer with the Superior Court of Justice. Taking that into account, Winkler thought, "New chief justice — maybe it's time we look at how we do this, and maybe make some changes that he thought were appropriate," says Misetich. Winkler decided the event is better suited for September, which, with the re- turn to school, is often viewed as a time of rejuvenation. In making the change, Win- kler consulted with Superior Court Chief Justice Heather Smith and, from the ontario Court of Justice, Chief Justice annemarie Bonkalo, Misetich says. She also says that Winkler plans to change the procedure of the ceremony but has yet to meet with staff to consider those alterations. "We've been following the same format for over 10 years, so he thinks it's time to update it a little bit," says Misetich. Former chief justice Roy mc- murtry resurrected the Open- ing of the Courts ceremony in 1997, after a prolonged hiatus. The annual event brings togeth- er the province's three chief jus- tices, who use the opportunity to speak on issues of the courts and to keep the public abreast of justice matters. maiLinG miX-uP at LSuC the Law Society of upper Canada had to resend part of its 2008 annual-fee and account- balance invoice to nearly 40,000 licensees, due to a typo. LSUC communications di- rector Roy thomas says the ini- tial mailing due date stated Jan. 1, 2007, rather than the correct date of Jan. 1, 2008. Other ma- terials sent in the package, in- cluding explanatory notes, were accurate and didn't have to be resent, he said. Thomas said costs to correct the error — including printing and postage — were "minimal." He added that since some li- censees don't have a business e- mail address, the law society was unable to resend the materials in electronic format. The annual dues cover law- society costs, such as insurance and administration, and vary depending on how active a li- censee is in practising law. Heenan BLaiKie LandS toP oH&S LaWYeR Heenan Blaikie LLP has added Cheryl edwards, considered one of the country's leading occupational health and safety lawyers, to its national OH&S and workplace safety and insur- ance board practice. Edwards is a former OH&S prosecutor with over 20 years of experience advising and provid- ing in-house training to organi- zations; she also has experience representing clients at trials, complaints, inquests, and ap- peals. "Cheryl is a recognized leader in her field and one of the few true specialists [in OH&S] in Canada, so I am thrilled to have her join our team," says Jef- frey Goodman, who leads the firm's employment practice in Toronto. "Cheryl brings proven expertise in OH&S and WSIB issues, plus she's a real go-getter. Our clients will benefit from her knowledge, skills, and energy." Edwards has also spoken on health and safety issues at profes- sional conferences and seminars, and is a leading author of texts and articles on OH&S issues. She joins Francine Legault and Lucie Guimond, who lead the firm's OH&S and WSIB prac- tice in Quebec. Dye & Durham's Search & Registration Division collects information on existing corporations, business names and trademarks. We provide data relating to Corporate and Business Name History, Certificates of Status, P.P.S.A. Searches and Registrations, Bankruptcy, Bank Act, Writs of Execution, Bulk Sales, Motor Vehicle, Registrar General Searches, Real Estate and Litigation. We also provide name searches required for incorporation or business registration for all provinces through the NUANS database. eservicedd.ca • 1-888-668-8208 • kim_hines@dyedurham.ca Choose Dye & Durham your ONE source supplier Search & Registration Services W e ' r e a C a n a d i a n C o m p a n y DD LT GRLBBE S&R bw 12/28/07 10:44 AM Page 1 The Inside Story Confidential BeautY Queen SuSPended FRom LaW SCHooL TUSCON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona law school is none too keen to have student and former beauty queen Kumari Fulbright back in class. Despite her pleas to the dean, she has been suspended by the school after being indicted on five charges, including kidnapping and assault. According to News 4 in Tucson, the 25-year-old Fulbright and a group of others held her ex-boyfriend for 10 hours in early December. Documents obtained by the TV station also say she stuck a butcher knife in his ear. Fulbright's lawyer, Marc Beginin, says the ex-boyfriend is lying about the whole affair and it was he who showed up at her house brandishing a gun. Either way, she won't be back in school for some time, at least until the dean of students conducts an investigation. Fulbright, who was crowned Miss Pima County in 2005, is out on $50,000 bail. Police are still looking for Robert Ergonis, who is facing several charges in the case, including kidnapping. Larry Hammond, whom police say was also involved, remains in custody. He'S oK to CaSH a CHeQue, eH? NEW YORK — A lot of weird stuff happens in New York, and passersby rarely bat an eyelid, but two old guys wheeling a dead man down the street in an office chair did raise some eyebrows. Police say witnesses told them they saw David J. Dalaia and James O'Hare — both 65 years old —push Virgilio Cintron's body from the Manhattan apartment that O'Hare and Cintron shared to a cheque-cashing place down the street. A police spokesman said "Cintron [was] flopping from side to side and the two individuals [were] propping him up and keeping him from flopping from side to side." Once at the Pay-O-Matic, the two living guys left the dead guy outside and went in to try and cash his $355 social security cheque. A police detective having a lunch break across the street noticed a crowd gathering around Cintron's corpse; he called in uniformed officers and an ambulance. Dalaia and O'Hare were arrested on the spot when they went out of the store to wheel their deceased mate inside. Dalaia and O'Hare were held by police and faced cheque-fraud charges. it'S oBViouSLY tHeiR FauLt DENVER — Taking no personal responsibility for his actions, two-time prison escapee Scott Anthony Gomez, Jr. is suing the jail, accusing the guards not only of abusing him, but of not doing enough to stop him from breaking out. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, names Pueblo County, former sheriff Dan Corsentino, current sheriff Kirk Taylor, six Pueblo County guards, and their supervisors. According to the suit, Gomez and another inmate escaped on Nov. 22, 2006 by pushing up a ceiling panel, getting into the jail's ventilation system, and lowering themselves from the roof using bedsheets. After climbing out of a hole in the ceiling, Gomez was seriously injured when he fell 40 feet while trying to scale down the side of the jail. Gomez was captured two days later, reported Channel 7 in Dallas. The escapee also claims he was assaulted by a guard, on Jan. 3, 2007, and then charged with inciting a riot, prompting him to plan another escape with another inmate. He alleges the cell doors in his maximum-security wing could be easily opened and that he was able to loosen a tile in a shower ceiling when a guard left the area unattended. The lawsuit, which seeks an unspecified amount of money, claims authorities "did next to nothing to ensure that the jail was secure and that the plaintiff could not escape." Bizarre Briefs By Viola James Enabling Lawyers through Technology Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 www doprocess com For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com LT LT LT-Jan 14 08.indd 16 1/10/08 8:07:21 PM

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