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PAGE 2 NEWS January 18, 2010 • Law Times Lawyer feels pain of victimhood But Warren Skinner clings to his faith in the justice system BY TIM SHUFELT Law Times ner finds himself searching for those responsible for his own son's murder. In addition to a large cash A reward, Skinner and his family are appealing to the conscienc- es of the passengers in the SUV that ran over his son Christo- pher in downtown Toronto last fall in the hopes they can entice the killer — or killers — out of hiding. "I'm trying to push the other people in the vehicle to understand we need some clo- sure," he says. Still, Skinner says he clings to his faith in the justice system he has always embraced to ultimate- ly deliver a measure of solace. fter a career of advocat- ing for the criminally accused, Warren Skin- For a criminal defence law- yer, of course, it's one thing to champion a client's rights to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence. But it can be much more difficult when dealing with the murder of a loved one when raw emotion overwhelms personal philosophy. Skinner, however, says those responsible for Christopher's murder de- serve their day in court. "If I did not feel that way, I think I'd have to stop prac- tising criminal law," says Skin- ner, who had hoped to eventu- ally pass his Newmarket, Ont., practice on to his son. Christopher had left his sis- ter's birthday party in Toronto's Entertainment District last TitlePlus_LT_Jan19_09 1/12/09 3:11 PM Page 1 October when he got into an altercation with the occupants of a black SUV. Police speculated that the 27-year-old's hand had come Christopher Skinner, right, with his sister Taryn. He died last fall following an altercation in downtown Toronto. His family is appealing for help to solve the murder. into contact with the vehicle as he tried to hail a cab. Three or four men got out of the vehicle, knocked Chris- topher to the ground, and kicked him. According to police, the driver then intentionally drove over the man with both the front and back wheels. In a search for witnesses, police offered a $50,000 incen- tive backed up by an additional $25,000 raised by the Skinner family, their friends, and col- leagues. Last week, the Skinners again announced a boost to the reward, bringing the total up to $100,000. "The message doesn't change. We know that there were two or three people in that SUV that weren't driving," Skinner says. "Just because you're in a car doesn't make you guilty of a criminal offence." Still, he acknowledges the apprehension a person might feel in turning in a close friend or family member. But he wants potential wit- nesses to also understand what the Skinner family is going through. "It isn't getting any easier," he says. "You wake up, and the first thing you think about is, 'Another day to get through.'" Adding to their grief is the fact that Christopher, who was described at his funeral as a "collector of friends," was a much-loved person with a bright future cut short. "There weren't too many people who didn't like him," Skinner says. "He just loved life." Christopher had graduated from Ryerson University with a graphic-design degree but had settled on a career change. He wanted to go to law school. Shortly before he was killed, Christopher had taken the LSAT. His father describes him Everything you need Together we have all the tools The TitlePLUS® Program works with you to help protect your clients from title risks.1 assist you, through our legal services coverage2 real estate partner! result of an error or omission in your real estate transactions. To ensure your clients get the most comprehensive coverage in one policy, take a look at the TitlePLUS Program, your Bar-related® With the right tools we , by reducing the inconvenience of dealing with a loss as the as outgoing, creative, and un- afraid to speak in public. "I would have thought he would have made a fairly good litigator," Skinner says. Now he anticipates the long process of prosecuting the mur- der of his son. "I'm hoping we have to go through that," he says. "I think we owe it to Christopher to see that there is some justice done." In the meantime, he says donations are still needed to meet the reward obligations. A substantial portion of the money raised has come from lawyers, particularly in York Region, Skinner says. Fellow Newmarket lawyer PROTECTION AS GOOD AS IT GETS 1-800-410-1013 2 Excluding OwnerEXPRESS® policies and Québec policies. ®TitlePLUS, the TitlePLUS logo, OwnerEXPRESS and LAWPRO are registered trademarks of Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company. ®BAR-RELATED Mark is a registered Mark of North American Bar Related Title Insurers used by LAWPRO under License. titleplus.ca 1 Please refer to the policy for full details, including actual terms and conditions. The TitlePLUS policy is underwritten by Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company (LAWPRO®). Contact LAWPRO for brokers in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta and Québec. Daniel Monteith, for example, has helped campaign for mon- ey from the legal community. "I've got four kids myself and I was just so overwhelmed by the tragedy of it," Monteith says. Contributions to the fam- ily's reward fund can be made by sending a cheque or money order to Warren Skinner in Trust at 195 Main St. S., New- market, Ont., L3Y 3Y9. 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