Today's Another Challenge
To do had more interesting twist but not as intense or bad as it could have been. While David was just being released after being incarcerated for six days for failing to comply with a ruling that was struck down on Oct 15, there was another interesting case happening with a man named Red who has been charded so many times for panhandling that he actually started losing count of how many tickets he has recieved and eaten. I think at last count it was 257.00 for knitting and selling his products by donation on the street corner. Red was charged on a failing to appear for his court day a day to late and two court rooms away system had David Johnson in custody where the city was doing there dammedest to keep him in custody and another city council person who was being heard for their role in the killing of one of there neighbor. So while this trail was going on there was more security and an effort to keep two homeless men hind bars because they were more of a danger to society then the third man who helped in a killing of another human being. While these court cases where going on the city council had gone into closed doors meetings to determine what to do because there was a opened regular scheduled meeting at city hall. The staff was afraid that the homeless might speakout and want some answers about why the city hall ordered the detainment of a homeless man for six days. The out going mayor left the council chambers and ordered another city council member to take over the meeting. The council failed to respond to any of the homeless enquiries, the police were called in and meet each person as they too left the council chambers on their just as the police were getting there.
In the mean time not far from city hall our famous lawyers from this victorious court case were recieving recognition from the "Victoria Bar Association" celebrant winners of homeless camping case
Borrowed from the TYEE news wire from Andrew MacLeod November 6, 2008 05:44 pm
http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Rights Justice/2008/11/06/WinningLawyers/
The Victoria Bar Association will give an award tonight to Catherine Boies Parker and Irene Faulkner for their work on the case that struck down Victoria's anti-camping bylaws.
The award will be delivered on a day when one of their clients, David Arthur Johnston, was released after spending six days in jail. He was arrested Oct. 31 after refusing to remove his tent from the square outside City Hall.
"They selflessly took on a case that other lawyers would have shyed away from," said Scott Farquhar, president of the VBA, who will present the award at a dinner at the Victoria Golf Club. "They're very deserving candidates."
The Contribution to the Law Award is for a member "who has had a significant involvement in the development of a legal issue during the year, and which involvement reflects positively on the legal profession."
Boies Parker and Faulkner won an Oct. 14 Supreme Court of B.C. decision that found that since many people have to sleep outside given the city's housing crisis, their right to shelter themselves is protected by the Constitution.
"I realize from a public policy stand point some people didn't agree with the decision," Farquhar said, but added that most lawyers will agree it was the right decision and moves the law forward in a significant way.
"We're very pleased," said Faulkner. "It's very nice to see that kind of acknowledgment from our colleagues."
Faulkner attended court as an observer during Johnston's appearance today. Provincial Court judge Ernie Quantz released Johnston on the promise he would meet several conditions, including following the city's bylaw enforcement policy that says tents must be dismantled by 7 a.m. each day.
Faulkner said she and Boies Parker seldom attend dinners with other lawyers. "We tend to spend more time hanging out on street corners with homeless people."
