Law Times

January 19, 2009

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PAGE 16 Enabling Lawyers through Technology Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 Real Estate • Corporate • Estates www doprocess com The Inside Story MCMURTRY STUDIES PUBLIC'S LEGAL NEEDS Ontario legal groups have called on the province's former chief justice to lead a study on unmet justice needs. The Law Society of Upper Canada, Legal Aid Ontario, and Pro Bono Law Ontario last week announced that Roy McMurtry has come on board as chairman of the steering committee of the On- tario Civil Legal Needs Project. "Today, more people are ap- pearing in courtrooms through- out the province without the support of a lawyer or licensed paralegal," said McMurtry. "The costs of legal services are ris- ing, and it is taking longer to resolve legal problems. We, as a legal community, want to address these issues." The initiative aims to find new and inexpensive ways for those who offer legal services in civil justice. The project will include a public telephone survey, focus groups with legal and social ser- vice professionals, and an apprais- al of current services that aim to support access to justice. JUDGE REBUKED FOR AIDS COMMENTS Justice Jon-Jo Douglas of the Ontario Court of Justice has of- ficially been punished for shock- ingly misinformed comments made during a trial regarding and HIV-positive witness. The Barrie judge, reports The Toronto Star, recently visited Casey House hospice for patients with HIV/AIDS to close the book on a complaint to the Ontario Judicial Council. The complaint by the Crimi- nal Lawyers' Association, Ca- nadian HIV/AIDS Legal Net- work, and the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic followed Douglas' comments in a November 2007 trial. The judge asked an HIV- positive witness to wear a mask while in the court, erroneously arguing that the virus can reacti- vate with moisture. Dr. Ann Stewart, medical director at the hospice, told the Star that Douglas showed courage through his visit. "He asked a lot of questions," Stewart told the newspaper. "He's clearly learned a great deal since a year ago." LAWYERS NAMED TO ORDER OF ONTARIO The province's legal community has a strong presence in the lat- est round of Order of Ontario appointments, announced last week. Topping the list is former Su- perior Court chief justice Patrick LeSage, who was named to the Order of Canada in 2007. He served as chief justice of that court from 1996 to 2002, and currently acts as counsel with Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in Toronto. Other lawyers appointed to the Order of Ontario include: • Dickson MacGregor Appell LLP partner Mary Dickson of Toronto, for her work as an educator and advocate for people with disabilities; • former Ontario premier Da- vid Peterson, chairman of the Toronto law firm of Cas- sels Brock & Blackwell LLP, recognized for public service work; and • University of Ottawa com- mon law emeritus professor Ed Ratushny, for contribu- tions to education and law. "I am pleased to invest some of our province's most deserving citizens into the Order of On- tario," said Lieutenant Gover- nor of Ontario and Chancellor of the Order of Ontario David Onley. "This distinguished honour is bestowed on those who have gone above and beyond, those who have demonstrated excellence in various fields of endeavour." NEW NAMES AT BLG Borden Ladner Gervais LLP's Toronto office announced a pair of new faces last week. Margot Blight, previously from Blight Law Office, and Amanda Carson, who previously practised with Hughes Amys LLP, have both joined the firm. Blight, who practises labour, education, human rights and constitutional, and administrative law, has been named a partner. Carson, who practises insur- ance and tort liability, comes on board as an associate. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com "I wouldn't bet the mortgage on it! . . . if I could." IT CERTAINLY ISN'T CANADA LIMA, Peru — There is a certain attitude about pub- lic drunkenness, not to men- tion liability issues relating to drunkenness, in Canada. It's very different in Peru. That country's top court has ruled being drunk on the job is not a cause for firing. The government has criticized the court for setting a dangerous precedent, reports Reuters. The Constitutional Tribunal ordered that Pablo Cayo Men- doza be given his job back as a janitor for the municipality of Chorrillos, which fired him for being sloshed at work. The issue, Justice Fernando Calle ruled, was not that Cayo was drunk but that, despite be- ing inebriated, he could still speak and write and didn't hurt anybody. So, it seems, he wasn't drunk enough to be fired. Calle said the court would not revise its decision, despite com- plaints from the labour ministry. Celso Becerra, the administra- tive chief of Chorrillos, a suburb of Lima, denounced the ruling. "We've fired four workers for showing up drunk, and two of them were drivers," he said. "How can we allow a drunk to work who might run somebody over?" COPS WANT VET IN PEN VINELAND, N.J. — Police have accused a New Jersey man of posing as a female vet- erinarian, claiming he operat- ed an unlicensed practice and a phony rescue agency. January 19, 2009 • Law Times Bizarre Briefs By Viola James The Associated Press re- ports that Daniel C. Tyce, 26, is charged with practising medi- cine without a licence, and is being held on $10,000 bail. It's alleged that Tyce ran the South Jersey Small Animal Rescue, erroneously identify- ing himself as University of Pennsylvania veterinary school graduate Danielle Smith. He inoculated pets and sold small animals for adoption, as well as soliciting donations, said police. SECRETARY SWINDLES LAWYER MADISON, Wis. — A 37-year-old woman has admit- ted to writing cheques to her- self using her boss' office ac- count, taking a total of nearly $58,000 from the lawyer. "The defendant stated she wasn't sure when she started doing this, and that as time went on it just became easier and her needs became greater, so she began taking more mon- ey," read a complaint quoted in The Capital Times. Police said Krystyne M. Miller admitted the fraud to Monona Police Department Detective Gary Buss. The pilfering took place between January 2007 and September 2008, according to the crimi- nal complaint. Miller has been charged with five counts of felo- ny theft, and could face a fine of $25,000 and 10 years of prison and supervision. Miller had written cheques for the lawyer's proper business costs and her own paycheques. But at times she went further and wrote cheques for her own use, crossing her fingers and hoping the transgressions would go unnoticed. Randall Skiles' accountant caught wind of the strange chequebook activity while pre- paring his taxes, which led to a police investigation. The lawyer proceeded to bring back his for- mer office manager for an ex- tra scan of his account activity. The bookkeeper estimated that some $62,000 had gone astray. It's believed that a portion of the funds came from lawyer Skiles' trust account. Police said Miller used por- tions of the stolen funds to pay bills, and blew some of it at ca- sinos. She told Buss that finan- cial troubles caused by the cost of caring for her elderly parents and an ongoing divorce prompt- ed her to steal the dough. She was expected to appear in court last week for a first ap- pearance. QUEUE CRAZINESS MUNCIE, Ind. — An alleged brouhaha with an off-duty po- lice officer in a Wal-Mart lineup has led to the arrest of a father- son pair. The Santa Clarita Valley Sig- nal reports that police alleged 26-year-old Edward Pluhar Jr. budded to the front of the line at the big-box store. He refused to move upon the insistence of officer Chris Kirby, said police. But Pluhar's dad, Edward Plu- har Sr., denies the police's claim. He says a store clerk had waved his son to the front of the line. The elder Pluhar refuted the cop's claim that he had threat- ened to shoot him. He said the officer had insulted his son. LT Seen, heard, or been involved in a bizarre brief? Tell Viola James about it at viola.james@ gmail.com. Macera&Moffat_LT_Jan19_09.indd 1 www.lawtimesnews.com 1/13/09 4:33:47 PM

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