Law Times

Page 16 November 23, 2015 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com CDLPA GETS NEW NAME The County & District Law Presi- dents' Association is rebranding itself as the Federation of Ontario Law Asso- ciations. Earlier this month, the presidents of the 46 local law associations voted to change the name. The change ref lects a feeling by the association's executive that the CDLPA name was "cumbersome and did not ref lect the full scope of what the organization meant to its membership," according to a news release. "It is our intent that this mandate will remain, but with the new name and 'rebranding,' we think it will become more clear to members and to key stakeholders that we represent frontline, practising lawyers across Ontario who are members of their local law associations," said Eldon Horner, the incoming chairman of the organization. "While we respect the history and tradition of the association and all those who served it as volunteers in the past, it was clear to the presidents and leadership of the association that the name needed to change." SHERIFF'S OFFICE APPLICANT ARRESTED ON SEX CHARGES WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. — If there's a warrant out for you on sexual assault charges, maybe ap- plying to the police department isn't a good idea. A 25-year-old man who applied for a job at a Michigan sheriff 's department was arrested after a background check revealed he was wanted in Kentucky on sexual assault charges, officials said. John Wesley Rose was arrested and will return to Kentucky, where he's wanted on six counts of sexual abuse, sodomy, and rape, said Paula Bridges, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County sheriff 's office. Rose appeared before Wayne Circuit Court Judge Deborah Thomas and waived his right to an extradition hearing, she said. He was arrested after a background check showed the outstanding warrant from Madi- son County, Ky., from March, the sheriff 's de- partment said in a statement. According to Re- uters, the warrant hadn't been entered into the national database when Rose initially applied for an officer position in September. The sheriff 's office asked Rose to return to complete paperwork and finalize the employ- ment application and at that time arrested him without incident, the statement said. COURT CLERK EARNS $135K, WORKS TWO HOURS A DAY CONCORD, Mass. — Do Ontario court clerks have it this good? According to WCBV in Boston, one of the state's highest-paid court clerks has been working part-time hours for a very good salary. The TV station went as far as watching Concord district court clerk magistrate Ann Colicchio on 26 business days during a four- month period. According to WCBV, she was at the courthouse for an average of two hours and 23 minutes a day. It's not that Colicchio is getting a part- time salary. According to WCBV, she's the third-highest-paid clerk in Massachusetts with a salary of almost $135,000 and an additional $35,000 for setting bail after hours. The TV station reported that on one workday, Colicchio left after just under three hours on the job. It then followed her as she got in a car with friends to head out of town. Her stops included Markey's Lobster Pool in Seabrook, N.H., and Hampton Beach. It's clear the court is quite generous with time off for its employees. All clerks can take up to 65 days off each year in addition to holidays and ac- crued sick time, WCBV reported. According to the TV station, Colicchio provided a statement saying she had taken 47 days of earned time from June to October to deal with family health issues. "I think it's OK if I take that time that I've earned," it reported her as saying. The TV station observed her running er- rands during work hours as well as visiting a nursing home. In response to inquiries, Colicchio told WCBV there were no issues with her work. But when it later told her of an investigation, it learned she had started working full days. The Massachusetts Trial Court has launched a re- view, the TV station reported. LOADED GUN FOUND BEFORE BOARDING NORFOLK, Va. — Authorities are likely step- ping up security after recent terrorist attacks, but it's hard to imagine how someone could think they could get on a plane with a loaded gun at any point in time. According to WTKR, Transportation Se- curity Administration officers detected the .380-calibre handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition on the X-ray machine's con- veyor belt after a woman attempted to bring it on a plane at Norfolk International Airport. Police confiscated the gun, and the woman, a resident of Amissville, Va., is facing a state weapons charge. LT © 2015 Stewart. All rights reserved. We put legal professionals front and centre and we put our efforts into keeping real estate transactions where they belong – in your office. Learn more about our level of support, call (888) 667-5151 or visit stewart.ca. Ally Untitled-2 1 2015-09-30 4:01 PM u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR FEDERAL PANEL As lawyers eagerly await the fed- eral government's response to the Supreme Court of Can- ada's ruling on assisted suicide, new Justice Minister Jody Wil- son-Raybould has modified the mandate and extended the deadline for a panel appointed to look at the issue. On Nov. 14, Wilson-Ray- bould and Health Minister Jane Philpott announced the panel, led by chairman Harvey Max Chochinov, would have a one- month extension until Dec. 15 to complete its report. The gov- ernment has also modified the panel's mandate to focus on the results of its consultations rather than on the development of leg- islative options to respond to the Supreme Court's ruling in Cart- er v. Canada (Attorney General). The clock, of course, has been ticking as the government faces a one-year timeline to fill the legisla- tive void created by the Feb. 6 rul- ing. Since the Liberals took power this month, there has been specu- lation that the government will seek an extension of the deadline. LAWYER ORDERED TO PAY WAL-MART $50K Earlier this fall, the Legal Feeds blog reported on Toronto lawyer Miguna Miguna's copyright dis- pute with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Miguna lost his claim, and now the Ontario Superior Court has ordered him to pay a com- bined $120,000 in costs to two defendants. In September, Justice Graeme Mew granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment after considering Miguna's claim of a copyright breach in rela- tion to his book, Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Ke- nya. Miguna claimed he didn't consent to any publication, pro- duction or release of the book by the defendants, Mew noted. Miguna has appealed the decision, suggesting Mew had failed to fully appreciate all of the evidence before him. In the meantime, Mew has rejected Miguna's arguments that he shouldn't have to pay costs to Wal-Mart and Consortium Book Sales and Distribution LLC, a company identified on walmart.com as the publisher of the book. Mew found that "as an experienced lawyer, the plaintiff knew full well that by bringing this action he was exposing him- self to the possibility of a signifi- cant award of costs." As a result, Mew ordered Miguna to pay $50,000 to Wal- Mart and $70,000 to Consor- tium. POLL RESULTS The results of the latest Law Times online poll are in. According to the poll, respon- dents have significant doubts about the feasibility of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of the year. More than 66 per cent of partici- pants felt the plan isn't realistic and suggested the government should take its time to ramp up its response. LT Eldon Horner "Legalized marijuana and alternative business structures: an interesting combination."

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