Law Times

Page 16 June 23, 2014 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com MCARTHYS LAWYERS RUN TO TORONTO FROM QUEBEC McCarthy Tétrault LLP says 29 of its lawyers ran to Toronto from Montreal as part of a team-building and fundraising exercise over Father's Day weekend. The lawyers, along with eight coaches and 15 volunteers, kicked off their 650-ki- lometre journey at the law firm's Montreal office on June 13 and ran over the course of the next 75 hours before arriving in To- ronto on June 16. The run raised $58,000 in support of Pour 3 Points, a Montreal-based organization that assists students in underprivileged neighbourhoods. "We are incredibly proud of our colleagues for undertaking such a colossal challenge in teamwork," said Marc-André Blanchard, chairman and chief executive officer of McCarthys. "Our runners — who were mostly inexperienced prior to their train- ing — took up the challenge fired by a desire to accomplish a collective goal together and to support an important community initiative. They are an inspiration to our colleagues, our clients, and our communities." Each lawyer underwent "intensive" training in preparation for the run that included a 260-kilometre test relay. NUNS SUE STRIP CLUB NEAR CONVENT CHICAGO — A group of nuns have joined the not-in-my-backyard crusade against a strip club behind their convent. According to Reuters, the group of Chica- go-area nuns is suing the strip club over com- plaints of noise, glaring neon lights, fistfights, and heaps of litter that include empty whiskey bottles and used condoms. The Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borro- meo said Illinois mandates a 300-metre buffer zone between adult entertainment venues and places of worship or schools. The suit, filed in Cook County, Ill., also names the village of Stone Park where the strip club is located. The $3-million Club Allure opened last Sep- tember across the back fence of the convent, which has three chapels, a home for retired sisters, and a house for young women thinking about be- coming nuns, the nuns' lawyer said. "The sisters have every right to pray and work peacefully without disruption from a strip club in their backyard," Peter Breen, the lawyer for the nuns, said in a statement. A representative for the club wasn't imme- diately available for comment. Stone Park attorney Dean Krone said the 300-metre limit applies to most of the state, but a 1.6-kilometre restriction applies to suburban Cook County, which includes Stone Park. He said the Cook County limit is uncon- stitutional because it would prohibit any kind of strip club in the small towns in the county, which would violate free speech protections. MOON SHOOTER ARRESTED, CHARGED PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. — It's probably better that someone shoots at the moon rather than at a person, but that doesn't mean police won't charge you for doing it. According to Reuters, police arrested a marijuana smoker in Arizona after he shot at the moon with a handgun and wrestled with officers called by his girlfriend to subdue him, authorities said. Police went to a home in Prescott Valley north of Phoenix where the woman told them her partner had fired several shots into the air after telling her and her teenage son he had seen Halley's Comet. Prescott Valley police spokesman Sgt. Bran- don Bonney said authorities arrested Cameron Read, 39, after a struggle and noted he admit- ted to firing multiple times and "trying to shoot the moon." Bonney said Read also confessed to smok- ing marijuana before the incident and told of- ficers he hadn't wanted to hurt anyone. He landed in Yavapai County jail on felony charges of unlawful discharge of a firearm, resist- ing arrest, disorderly conduct and endangerment, and a misdemeanor count of criminal damage. MAN HID DRUGS IN STOMACH FAT DELTONA, Fla. — A Florida man appears to have taken advantage of his girth when he tried to hide drugs in his stomach fat. But according to the Volusia County sheriff 's office, the 200-kilogram man wasn't quite able to get away with his alleged stash when they stopped the car he was a passenger in for not wearing a seatbelt on June 13. Police say an officer became suspicious after stopping the car and noticing both the driver and passenger were nervous. He still wasn't wearing the seatbelt when the officer stopped him, according to a news release. Christopher Mitchell, 42, told the officer he was too big to wear the seatbelt. But as the offi- cer's suspicions grew, policed called for a drug- detecting dog who quickly sensed the presence of drugs. The investigation turned up 23 grams of marijuana in Mitchell's stomach fat as well as a handgun and more than $7,000 in cash stuffed into a tube sock. Police have charged the driver with posses- sion of cocaine and Mitchell with possession of marijuana and for not wearing his seatbelt. LT The title insurer that puts you front row, centre Putting the legal community front and centre has made us the #1 choice with Canadian lawyers for over a decade. Stewart Title does not support programs that reduce or eliminate the lawyer's role in real estate transactions. For more information call (888) 667-5151 or visit www.stewart.ca. Untitled-2 1 7/19/11 12:31:45 PM u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story NEW JUDGES NAMED Besides appointing Justice George Strathy as chief jus- tice of Ontario on June 13, the federal government has filled a number of other judicial posi- tions across the country. Baker & McKenzie LLP's Alan Diner joins the Federal Court bench. He replaces jus- tice J.A. Snider following her resignation last year. Lawyer Henry Brown, who recently retired from Gowl- ing Lafleur Henderson LLP, also joins the Federal Court. Brown replaces Justice S.J. Harrington after he became a supernumerary judge in April. Also headed to the Federal Court bench is Keith Boswell of Stewart McKelvey. On June 30, he'll replace Justice J.A. O'Keefe after he became a su- pernumerary judge. Other appointments included: • Federal Court of Appeal Justice Robert Mainville to the Quebec Court of Appeal to replace Justice A.R. Hilton on July 1. • Public Prosecution Service of Canada lawyer Larry Ack- erl to the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench in Edmonton, replacing Justice R.S. Brown following his appointment to the Alberta Court of Appeal. • Felesky Flynn's Blair Dixon to the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench in Calgary. He replaces justice R.G. Stevens following his death in May. • Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Cindy Bourgeois to the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, replacing Justice L.L. Oland on June 22 when she became a su- pernumerary judge. • Nova Scotia Provincial Court Justice Jamie Camp- bell to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, replacing Bour- geois. • Quebec Superior Court Justice Mark Schrager to the Quebec Court of Appeal, re- placing new Supreme Court of Canada Justice Clément Gascon. • Quebec Superior Court Jus- tice Jean-Francois Emond to the Quebec Court of Appeal, replacing Justice J.J. Lévesque following his move to supernu- merary status in February. • Quebec Crown prosecutor Mi- chel Fortin to the Quebec Su- perior Court, replacing Emond. • Lawyer Donald Layh to the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench, replacing Jus- tice J.L.G. Pritchard after she moved to supernumerary status. POLL RESULTS The results of the latest Law Times online poll are in. Ahead of the June 12 provin- cial election, more respondents said they'd be voting for the Lib- erals than any other party. About 37 per cent of respon- dents said they'd vote Liberal while 32 supported the Progres- sive Conservatives and 14 per cent selected the NDP. LT "But according to your criminal background check, you've never been arrested!" Marc-André Blanchard

• Cover