Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Jaffer "Wrist Slap"

Was a bungled strip-search at the bottom of the lenient, $500 fine received by the former Conservative MP?

Calgary Herald reports:

Charged with impaired driving, possession of cocaine and speeding, he received what even the judge in the case conceded was a "break" -- a $500 fine for a careless driving plea, with the more serious charges dropped. Jaffer, 38, was pulled over for allegedly driving 43 km/h over the speed limit in Ontario last fall.
...According to reports, the more serious charges against Jaffer were dropped because a rookie police officer failed to follow proper procedures during a strip search of the former politician. Prosecutors apparently felt the evidence would be open to a challenge under the Charter of Rights.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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3 comments:

buckets said...

A bungled strip-search? Just where was that cocaine?

ridenrain said...

Since your a lawyer, maybe you can tell us exactly how much political interference has happened here. Only one of the legal minded Liblogs dismissed the idea of political experience while the rest have been heaping it on pretty deep.

@wiselaw said...

I doubt there was any political interference at play here, ridenrain.

Reading between the lines, this case appears simply to have worked its way through the criminal justice system to the same kind of result that generally upsets the law and order crowd that Mr. Jaffer used to carry a torch for - until his rights and liberties were apparently infringed.

Then, presumably, he then became all too happy to avail himself of the Charter's protections, too.