G20 arrest one “worst abuses” of civil liberties: Rose
Justice Harriet Sachs has found a G20 arrest during which an officer pointed a laser on a long gun at a kettled protestor and said, “eenie, meenie, miny, mo” before taking her into custody, has “eerie overtones” of fascism at its worst, reports the National Post. Read National Post
While Sachs stopped short of staying mischief charges against Eva Botten during the pretrial motion, she did exclude evidence collected during the incident and noted, “The conduct of the police will not be ignored if the prosecution against Ms. Botten is not stayed,” reports the newspaper.
Botten’s lawyer, David Rose, tells the Post he’s pleased with the judge’s decision, adding that while Toronto police generally act professionally, “something happened during the G20 and all that was thrown out the window.”
“What happened at the Novotel during the G20 resulted in the unnecessary arrest and imprisonment of over 260 persons. It will rank among the worst abuses of civil liberties in Canadian history. I think Justice Sachs recognized that,” Rose, a partner with Neuberger Rose LLP, tells AdvocateDaily.com.
