Law Times

Page 16 May 4, 2015 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com JOE GROIA AMONG ELECTED BENCHERS High-profile lawyer Joe Groia is among the benchers elected in the Law Society of Upper Canada bencher election last week. Others elected in Toronto include current Treasurer Ja- net Minor, Janet Leiper, Raj Anand, Paul Schabas, Julian Falconer, Christopher Bredt, Sandra Nishikawa, Jeffrey Lem, Howard Goldblatt, Gina Papageorgiou, Sidney Troister, Rocco Galati, Wil- liam McDowell, Barbara Murchie, Malcolm Mercer, John Callaghan, Peter Wardle, Avvy Yao-Yao Go, and Jonathan Rosenthal. Outside Toronto, the elected benchers are Robert Evans, An- drew Spurgeon, Raj Sharda, Peter Beach, Jack Braithwaite, Fred Bickford, Teresa Donnelly, Susan McGrath, Jacqueline Horvat, Dianne Corbiere, Carol Hartman, Joanne St. Lewis, Susan Armitage Richer, Virginia MacLean, Michael Lerner, Ross Earnshaw, Paul Cooper, Janis Criger, Jerry Udell, and Anne Vespry. Turnout in the vote was 34 per cent with 16,040 lawyers having cast a ballot for the 40 elected benchers. ESCAPEE GOING BACK AFTER FOUR DECADES FRANKLIN COUNTY, K.Y. — He remained on the lam for almost four decades, but it seems health issues brought an end to his long escape from jail. According to Reuters, the escaped North Carolina prison inmate is back behind bars in Kentucky after turning himself in over medi- cal issues. Clarence David Moore, 66, called the sher- iff 's department in Franklin County where he had been living under an alias for years, said sheriff Pat Melton. The detective who received his call initially thought it was a prank but then realized he was telling the truth, according to Melton. Melton and a deputy found Moore lying in a medical bed in his house, Reuters reported. The court had convicted Moore on larceny charges, according to North Carolina prison records. Before his disappearance in 1976, he made two prior escapes, the second of which saw him at large for nearly three years before his capture in Texas. "He was very forthcoming. He was ready," said Melton in a phone interview, noting Moore had become paralyzed on his right side after a stroke and suffered other health issues. He said it appeared Moore couldn't afford medical care and couldn't apply for assistance without identification. "When I took him into the jail with the am- bulance crew, he looked at me and said, 'Sheriff Melton, thank you for being nice to me,'" said Melton. CRACKDOWN ON FUNERAL STRIPPERS BEIJING — It may be tasteless, but shouldn't peo- ple have a legal right to have strippers at funerals if they want? According to Reuters, the Chinese govern- ment doesn't think so. The country will crack down on strippers who perform at rural funerals, the Ministry of Culture said as the government takes aim at performances it describes as illegal that corrupt "social morals." State media have said burlesque shows at some funerals aim to draw more mourners and show off the family's wealth, a practice that's infrequent but gaining in popularity. In a notice on its web site, the ministry called for a list of people and workplaces that engage in such shows. It singled out a group of burlesque dancers, the Red Rose Song and Dance Troupe, who did a strip tease after the small-town funeral of an elderly person in the northern province of He- bei in February. According to Reuters, one leader of Red Rose, surnamed Li, received a punishment of 15 days in detention and a fine of 70,000 yuan (about $13,600). MAN'S SMOKE SIGNALS LEAD TO ARSON ARREST GRAND COUNTY, Utah — It seems innocent enough to start a fire to signal for help. Police in Utah, however, have arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of arson after he told officers he lit a brush fire that burned dozens of acres to signal for help after his car got stuck, authorities said. The Grand County sheriff 's office said its deputies, local firefighters, and Bureau of Land Management workers responded to a report of the blaze that destroyed a large swath of old- growth Cottonwood trees and other vegetation and threatened several structures. In a statement, the sheriff 's office said a vehi- cle had become stuck near where the fire started when the driver tried to turn around on the hill- side. The driver, Weston Frank Vetere, "told law enforcement that he had started a fire as a signal for help," the statement said. Police arrested him and booked him into the Grand County jail on suspicion of arson, it said. LT legal expertise? Looking for Find exactly what you need at www.CanadianLawList.com It's fast, It's free, s fa , s f and it's available to you 24 hours a day. ay. s available y availabl y Starting a business, making a will or buying a house? Declaring bankruptcy, dealing with a personal injury, insurance claim or job loss? If you're in the midst of one of life's big events, help is as close as your smartphone, tablet or computer. Simply go to www.CanadianLawList.com to find the right lawyer for your particular legal need. www.CanadianLawList.com is Canada's most comprehensive online directory of lawyers and law firms. And it's easy to use! You can search by city, legal specialty, or name for listings and contact information. Find the legal expertise you need at www.CanadianLawList.com. CLLonline_LT_July7_14.indd 1 14-07-02 8:13 AM u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story FINANCIAL SERVICES REVIEW ANNOUNCED Former Law Society of Up- per Canada chief executive officer Malcolm Heins will chair an expert panel to look at the financial services industry in Ontario. The expert panel will review the regulation of financial advis- ers and planners who help inves- tors make financial choices. Also on the panel is Anita Anand, a professor of law at the University of Toronto. Anand was previously the inaugural chair of the investor advisory panel for the Ontario Securi- ties Commission. "Unlike many financial ser- vice sectors in Ontario, finan- cial advisers and planners are not subject to general regula- tory oversight, which could leave consumers and investors vul- nerable. This review will focus on addressing this gap by exam- ining more tailored regulations," the Ministry of Finance said in announcing the review. REGIONAL SENIOR JP APPOINTED The province has appointed jus- tice of the peace Thomas Stin- son as the new regional senior justice of the peace for the west region of the Ontario Court of Justice. Stinson's appointment be- came effective on April 22. He has served as a justice of the peace since 2009. Stinson re- places regional senior justice of the peace Bridget Forster in the role. POLL RESULTS The results of the latest Law Times online poll are in. In the continuing battle be- tween personal injury lawyers and the insurance industry over who's responsible for high auto insurance costs, a large number of responders say they're both to blame. According to the poll, 46 per cent of poll participants feel both groups "are in it for themselves." Another 37 per cent of re- sponders sided with personal injury lawyers, saying the insur- ance industry makes plenty of money. The remaining 17 per cent of participants took the side of the insurers and said personal in- jury lawyers are driving up costs through generous contingency fees. The poll follows a report re- leased by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association that suggested drivers are paying far too much in premiums due to the excessive profits earned by insurance companies. The In- surance Bureau of Canada has responded that lawyers are to blame for high costs through high legal fees. LT "Well, that's just too bad! You abduct me, you abduct my medical malpractice lawyer." Joe Groia

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