The Wrongly Convicted...

Breaking NEWS and UPDATE: 11:18 AM August 28, 2007

The Court of Appeal Acquited Steven Truscott of the Rape-Murder of Lynne Harper and declared it a Miscarriage of Justice, but said it is not in legal position to declare him Innocent...The Panel was Unanimous in its decision handed shortly before 11:00 and the Crown has already announced that it is not planning to appeal the decision and accept the CA decision as the final test of the evidence presented by Mr. Truscott Team...

Analysis of the court decision is still been going on and details of the decision not yet available...for the breaking news...
http://www.torontosun.com/News/2007/08/28/4452385.html
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/250586

_____________
TORONTO (CP) — Steven Truscott is no longer a convicted murderer.

His 48-year fight to clear his name ended Tuesday as Ontario’s highest court acquitted him of the 1959 rape and murder of 12-year-old Lynne Harper.

In a unanimous decision, five justices of the Ontario Court of Appeal say new evidence satisfies them that Truscott’s conviction constituted a “miscarriage of justice.”

However, the court says it’s not in a position to declare Truscott innocent of the crime.

Truscott, who was 14 at the time, became the youngest Canadian to be sentenced to hang. He spent 10 years in prison before he was released on parole in 1969 after which he married and raised a family in Guelph under an assumed surname.





Steven Truscott as seen in 2001

Steven Truscott at 14


Lynne Harper at 12

The year was l959. A 14 years old Steven Truscott was convicted by an all-male jury for Rape-Murder of his 12 years old classmate Lynne Harper. Three days after the reported disappearance of Lynne Harper, her body was found, Steven Truscott was arrested, charged for her murder and after two weeks of trial was sentenced to hang, the youngest ever on death row. He spent four months under the shadow of the rope, until his sentence was commuted to life and was paroled in l969.

He re-surfaced in 2001 to clear his name and tomorrow the Court of Appeal of Ontario will bring down the ruling to upheld the conviction or overturned it.

For the summary of the case please check this link...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/truscott/

And for the women who fought for the cause at the time when women were just relegated as the back passengers of the Justice System and a noted crusader Isabel LeBourdais, whose only concern at that time not to see a child get hanged, and a stay at home housewife whose book titled the Trial of Steven Truscott didn’t see print in this country, but later was published in England and was instrumental in the review of the case and the abolition of Capital Punishment.

The very first woman to ever said the word “Penis” in National T.V. during her interview with the CBC program This Hour has Seven Days contending that the evidence presented by the Prosecutor during the Trial that the Lesion on Steven’s Penis was caused by raping a Virgin, may had been caused by dermatological condition, which was later confirmed.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/250130

Tomorrow will be the Day if Steven Truscott and the Whole Country will find out if his fight for his innocence for 5 decades and the fight for Justice for the Wrongly Convicted by these women (Isabel LeBourdais passed away in 2003) will be one of their successes.

bibs and others...

feeling too lazy today, so just uploaded these pics of bibs with cousins and family. the top pics are my eldest brother's grandchildren. girl, we call chin-chin and the boy josh. chin is expecting a sibling (mom won't tell if boy or girl) this november. they live in philadelphia, parents are pinas # 1 exports..RNs . josh is with her mom and my brother's family in Pinas.

next are my elder bro's (late brother) grandchildren. the eldest is chico, from dad's but with a first name from brother. then barely a month after chico 1st birthday, another brother with somehow unique nick, maui, this time sounds my bro's name. picture with mom. they live in toril and both parents are dentists.

the rest are the usual bida, bibs and family some pics scanned from the film pictures of yesteryears during her school days in manila, and two items on her first trip outside the Phil. with her teachers and classmates to china (macau). bibs and family now live in northern california since december 2005. even got one of mine with bibs in niagara falls during her visit to celebrate her 15th birthday in toronto, summer of '06..

DOG FIGHT!!!

Tre Smith, an Animal Investigator with the Toronto Humane Society with Cyrus, the Rottweiler he rescued from inside the overheated locked SUV. A brouhaha ensued after the incident that was all over the Front Page of Today's Dailies...





The Dog Fight..

Looking at Today’s Toronto Star Print Edition Headline I was thinking no more worthy news that this deserve the Front Page. Well this is the worthy news.

The article asked did animal rescuer go too far? The debate is still ongoing.

Tre Smith, the animal investigator with Toronto Humane Society and Paul Sonderholm, the owner of the dog named Cyrus, had both been telling Night and Day versions of what happened between them July 31.

The indisputable facts however, Smith, the investigator smashed the rear window of a SUV to rescue the overheated Cyrus inside, and when owner Paul came to the scene from somewhere, handcuffed him to the passenger side of the car, waiting for the police while rushing Cyrus to an emergency, and Paul lost Three teeth from animal lovers vigilantes nearby.

And the incident also re-discovered the dangling faulty lines between the Ontario Society for the Prevention to Cruelty to Animals and the Toronto Humane Society, Still Deep, that refused fixing for a long time...

The Toronto Humane Society who employed Tre said that he did the right thing both with Cyrus and his owner Paul, While the OSPCA said that what he did to the owner was not within his mandate and suspended Smith until the investigations resolve the issue. Note: although Smith is employed by the THS, as an Animal Investigator, his profession is regulated by the OSPCA.

And here’s is the summary of each character version of the event.

The Dog Owner
Paul: He said he left Cyrus in the back seat of his Equinox SUV to visit a friend and leave a little opening in the window as to allow a “cool breeze” and he check once in while to run the air-con to cool the dog.

But the visit lasted longer than expected and when he went down to check, he saw Smith and others trying to cool Cyrus, the Rottweiler down with a bowl of water. And as he approached the Dog investigator “yelled” at him asking “ is that your dog?” and as soon as he said yes, he was handcuffed and called names and said the investigator was trying to incite the crowd around to take the law into their hands.

And he said he was in his best behaviour despite Smith belligerence. Believe it or Not.. And added Cyrus didn’t look comatose....

The Investigator:

Tre: He said when he arrived at the scene upon reports of witnesses seeing Cyrus locked inside an closed SUV, he say the dog slumped in the back seat foaming in the Mouth, gasping for Breath.

He immediately summoned Police and called out to some passerby to bring buckets of water and after smashing the window, pour the water to cool off Cyrus. That when the ‘villain’ appeared to the scene and more perturbed about his car than his dog. He added that Paul scared him and other bystanders by spouting profanities and tried to pull and push Smith away from the Pet.

After repeated pleas to allow him to do his job, he decided to handcuffed the “bad guy” and push him to a picnic table but it didn’t work and decided to handcuff him to his SUV and put him in a gentle watch of five female friends instead of an angry mob. He called police again as he realized Cyrus needed to have an emergency attention as he rushed the Dog to the clinic. the “stoning of the sinner”, begins.

Now back to the OSPCA who suspended the investigator:

The SPCA doesn’t train its investigators in handcuff use. And the spokesperson said that animal investigators don’t exactly have the same power as the Police, simply because they are not trained to use weapons. But she also added that the Society has not received the full report of the incident yet and the lead investigator has yet to put the whole matter together.

This is not the first time both societies butt heads. In mid-8o the SPCA accused the Humane Society of unethical conduct of its internal fights, links to vandalism and the way it nominate its board.

The Humane Society challenged the SPCA Act in Court for the ability to train its own investigators to gain more control of its activities. It lost.

Aftermath:
Paul the Dog Owner was Charged with Cruelty to Animals (the cops did eventually came to the scene).

Two bystanders (both male vigilantes) were charged with assaults, one assault with a weapon (stone).

Cyrus, the Rottweiler: Recovering quite well and his fate will be decided by the Court soon.

Smith: Animal Investigator, appeared in reality show ‘lofters”, also a regular in an animal show, was suspended from work by the Regulating Body, the SPCA but has the support of his Employer, the Humane Society and suddenly will get his t.v. shows ratings a few bars higher and a hero to most animal lover and city residents...


Police-like powers unleashed

Animal cruelty investigations by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and its affiliated Humane Societies are governed by the Ontario SPCA Act.

The province's 205 inspectors and agents are trained criminal investigators.
The act specifically states that investigators have the same powers as police officers when enforcing animal cruelty laws, issue orders to relieve an animal's distress and enter private property.

The legislation also provides investigators with police powers to investigate Criminal Code offences related to animal cruelty.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/246856

Access to Justice a Basic Right...Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin

The justice system risks losing the confidence of the public when "wealthy corporations," or the poor, who qualify for legal aid, have the means to use the court system, she said, noting that for "middle-class" Canadians, resolving a legal problem of any significance often requires taking out a second mortgage or draining their life savings.

With this message in her speech before the Canadian Bar Association in Calgary Alberta, Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin has issued a call to governments, lawyers and judges to find solutions to the "crisis" to the access to justice that is imperiling the country’s legal system that is becoming expensive and complicated.

In her speech, she declared the access to Justice a "Basic Right" for Canadians, like Education and Health Care.

The Chief Justice Added:

"The price of justice should not be so dear". McLachlin said in a speech to the bar association's governing council at the opening of a four-day legal conference here.
"Something must be done," she urged. "We must all get on the same track and move down it together."

There's "no point" in having a justice system that nobody can afford to use, McLachlin said. "We need to keep the justice system relevant and available to Canadian men, women and children.

Echo of Tommy Douglas call to keep the Health Care available to all Canadian men, women, girls and boys. And the call was heeded.

Commenting on recent cover story of a weekly magazine portraying lawyers as money-grubbing and unprincipled by one of the members in his recently published book, Lawyers Gone Bad the Chief Justice said name-calling and exaggeration would not help.

The process to Criminal Justice has become complicated of late after the passing of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, where an accused can tie up too much of a court time challenging the constitutionality of the law and the admissibility of evidence.

On the civil side, the use of pre-trial hearings known as "examinations for discovery," which can drag on for months and even years, as well as an increased tendency to rely on expert witnesses, is contributing to longer trials ,chief justice McLachlin said, with often devastating consequences for litigants.

"People need prompt resolution of issues so they can move on with their lives or businesses."


toronto star..Justice for All

Get Ready- The City About to Cut the Quality of Life of its Residents..

mother and child enjoying a swim at one of the city's community centres facilities, which will become the victim of cost saving measures by the city, will be closed on Mondays.

City cuts quality of Life...

City mayor David Miller said that the city must cut the quality of life to its residents and citizens as he struggles with a shortfall of $575 millions projected for 2008.

Dirtier streets, more graffiti and potholes, less snow removal, city golf courses closing a week earlier, and no Monday service at community centres.

And it is not getting any better from now on.

Read the rest of the Article and see how the Locals (the council members "insult" and shout at each others like anywhere else).
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/245340

From Toronto Star on-line edition ( the blog publisher subscribes to the Print Edition).

Toronto Star is Canada’s largest daily serving Toronto Greater Area and the rest of Canada..

A subdued looking Mayor David Miller told a news conference at City Hall that the changes are unavoidable given the city's fiscal crisis. The crisis peaked during the past two weeks after councillors, in a 23-22 vote, deferred a motion – backed by Miller – to raise about $350 million by increasing the land transfer tax and vehicle registration fee.

"All of these things are a diminution of the quality of life in Toronto, and from my perspective that's why it was so important to try and avoid this day," the mayor said.

"All of it is something I don't think any member of council wishes to do, but we face a real choice. It's time for people to understand that you either pay for a quality of life in a city that you want, or you get a different quality of life. There is no way to provide good quality of life without paying for it," Miller said.

Savings from Hoy's reductions include: (Shirley Hoy is the City Manager, the top Civil Servant)
$700,000 by closing all city community centres on Mondays beginning mid-September.

$800,000 by opening outdoor artificial ice rinks in January instead of December.

$1 million by providing sidewalk and windrow plowing only when there's 15 cm of snow. The current standard is 8 cm.
(start wearing a higher sole snow boots, hehehe, by 7 cm, good for shorties)

$120,000 by cancelling December yard waste pickup.
(we can always haul our own yard waste to the designated drop off locations anytime).

$125,000 by reducing automated leaf pickup, in areas that have it, from two pickups to one.

$230,000 by releasing seasonal litter-picking staff two weeks earlier than normal.
(people just simply stop littering, problem solved)

Miller says the city still needs the new taxes and council is to vote on them Oct. 22.
Yesterday's announcement led to emotional outbursts, with Councillor Howard Moscoe, a supporter of the new taxes, saying seniors will be crying foul over the reductions in snow removal, especially the windrow service,* which is available in certain parts of the city.

*windrow service is the service provided by the city, removing the snow dumped by the road clearing at the end of the driveway. During heavy snowstorm windrow could be waist deep, though only the lenght of the driveway will be taxing to clear, especially of senior citizens. glad got myself a powerful snow thrower. neighbors ( those without) better be nice to me..


"It's going to be awful. We've got an aging population, senior citizens who shovel their driveway, then the snow plow dumps the snow in front."

An ugly shouting match erupted immediately after the cuts were revealed, as councillors launched personal attacks against one another.

"You're a hypocrite, Denzil. You're an absolute hypocrite, and you haven't done the research. You've been on council since you were 12 years old and you don't even know the details in this budget. That's embarrassing,'' Councillor Adam Vaughan shouted at Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong.

"Adam, you may be interested in increasing the ratings on your television program, but I'd like to answer this (reporter's) question ... do you mind?'' Minnan-Wong fired back, a reference to the fact Vaughan hosts Hour Town, a monthly political special on CP24.
(Although by law, Municipal politics are not allowed to have political parties, still councils are some kind of "buddy, buddy party".)

In giving her presentation, Hoy said the city's "financial issues'' are on the revenue side.
Under provincial law, the city is required to balance its operating budget every year, she said, adding it has done that over the past few years in part by depleting the city's reserve funds and exhausting all potential one-time fixes.

Hoy said the "long-term sustainable solution'' to the city's financial challenges must include: Getting the province to pay the true costs of its social programs and resume carrying half of the TTC's operating budget; obtaining new and diverse revenue sources; and continuing cost-control measures.

The city's operating budget in 2007 is $7.8 billion. One-quarter of that pays for roads, garbage collection, recycling, parks and recreation services and libraries.
A third covers provincially mandated programs, and another third is spent on TTC**, police, fire and ambulance.
(glad, ms Hoy didn't ask any savings from fire and ambulance budget, wise move)

Hoy asked for $30 million in savings from the TTC and $10 million from the police.
The TTC came up with $6 million, police $3 million.
(not enough, you two!!)

Still up for consideration by the TTC are measures such as mothballing the Sheppard subway line, eliminating more than 20 bus routes, and a fare hike. The transit commission plans to hold public consultations in September and make a final decision on those reductions afterward.

**Toronto Transit Commission (mass transit system)

Public Service from Police Services:
THE ARE 4000 bikes stolen every year in the City. To help the Police Re-unite the re-covered Bicycles to their rightful owners and help prosecute the criminals, registration of Bikes is now offered on Line Free of Charge... visit this link and help stop the crime, register your bike...

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/bike/

Sickening..this One Is...

Police probe handicapped agency theft...

Public Guardian official fired, OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) investigates money missing from handicapped client.

Attorney General Michael Byrant (file photo), said today that a Public Servant was terminated and under police investigation for misappropriation of funds entrusted...

Police probe handicapped agency theft...
Public Guardian official fired, OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) investigates money missing from handicapped client.

This is unbelievable.. A client Representative of the Public Guardian Trustee since l995 went on vacation on May and a colleague took over her files and found out anomalies regarding the management of funds of one of her clients, a Mentally Handicapped.

.
Ontario Attorney General Michael Brant said that there was misappropriation of funds, a significant amount of funds but decline to give the amount and added " the very idea that someone entrusted that trust violate that trust is SICKENING".

The internal Probe started in May upon discovery and the public servant was suspended pending preliminary report. She was terminated Thursday and the Police taking over the Criminal Investigation. She can not be named for Privacy reasons as she has not been charged in proper court yet. As always presumption of innocence is a constitutional right and until a person is charged, he or she can not be named and even if charged he or she can not be presented to the the Media or images published unless for public interest (like for asking for more witnesses, the image of the accused maybe necessary) or an accused is at large. For minor, a court permission is necessary..

Opposition parties yesterday blamed the Liberals for not having proper safeguards in place. "This thing was discovered, it sounds to me, by accident," said Progressive Conservative justice critic Bob Runciman, a former solicitor general.

Auditor General Jim McMaster said he's reported on other problems in the guardian's office before, including questions about whether investment portfolios were being managed properly, but never allegations of theft.

"I can't say that anything really (similar) stands out in my mind," he said yesterday.

The guardian's office administers $1 billion in financial assets for about 9,000 Ontario citizens who are unable to govern their own affairs. Officials are checking to see if more than one client was cheated out of money.

Bryant also announced that former Ontario integrity commissioner Coulter Osborne has been hired to help guardian office clients and their families with any concerns and to arrange for reimbursement of any losses they suffered. At this point, there is "zero evidence" other staff at the guardian's office have been involved in schemes to cheat clients, Bryant said, but McMaster, along with an outside accounting firm called in to help, are keeping an eye out for any signs that has happened.

"They will follow the money," Bryant said. "The government is focused on moving as quickly as possible."

Ontario Residents and all Canadians who are Physically and Mentally handicapped and are not capable of managing their own affairs are wards of the Government. They are provided with social assistance and all available medical care and whatever assets they may have from their inheritance or from family is managed by the Public Guardian Trustee. Trust among employees of this government agency is thereby absolute and violation of such trust is Sickening....

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/244581

Caribana 2007 ... Welcome All..

This Weekend the City is Celebrating its 40th Caribana Festival.. Come and Join Us.
Click the links for articles and videos:
For the video: http://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/video/243288

For 2007 gallery: http://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/photo/243315
For more details: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/243289

With tens of thousands of revellers flocking to town from the U.S. and beyond, the mood was electric at the annual Caribana parade Saturday as an estimated 25,000 dancers made their way along a sunny stretch of the city's waterfront.

This weekend this city is the Carribean of North America, sans the Pirates. It will be Music, Dances, Foods and Parties and thousands of tourists mingling with the locals. Welcome all to the Caribana 2007...

Something Good for the Health of Womanhood...

Dr. Jenny Blake, chief of obstretics at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, who has treated Cerivical Cancer patients, has already taken daughter Allie DePetrillo, 16, for HPV shots at her expense and she takes issue against those who questions the merits of the vaccine..

Girls to Get Cervical Cancer Vaccine... Gardasil..

Premier to announce $39 million voluntary immunization program for Grade 8 students
Starting this fall Grade 8 girls a cross Ontario will be offered Free Vaccines to prevent them from sexually transmitted virus that cause cervical cancer.

This program was financed by the Federal Government $300 millions voluntary vaccination program across Canada. In Ontario it is expected to immunize up to 84,000 students this year and will continue for at least another 2 years. After that it is not know if the Province will take over the program.

The vaccine, Gardasil, immunizes against the most deadly forms of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer.

It's the second most common cancer for women aged 20 to 44, after breast cancer.
In Ontario, some 550 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 150 die every year.
Gardasil is already available in Ontario but OHIP does not cover the $400 per person cost of the vaccine. Some employee benefit plans may cover it.

Health Canada approved Gardasil last summer for use in girls and women aged 9 to 26.
(Anyone under the age group who wish to have the vaccines, talk to your Doctor and check the coverage of your Extended Care, or your parents or guardian, otherwise be ready to fork out $400.)

Note: The Universal Health Care are not the same for every Province. Basic care like Hospital care for all sickness and illness are covered including procedures and medical bills and hospital stays with no limit, including medications during confinement, but maintenance medication and prescription pills are only covered fully under a separate Drug Plan Programs for Senior Citizens, Physically and Mentally disabled, indigents, social assistance recipients, or disabled due to health or accident, minors and basically all those that can not afford or without means. And there are medications and appliances not covered by these Drug Plans, but most often covered by those who are gainfully employed thru the Extended Insurance Plan by Employers. And that could include medication for ED (erectile dysfuncitons) and other lifestyle drugs...

The vaccine protects against infection from four separate strains of HPV, which combined, cause 70 per cent of all cases of cervical cancer.

But a Canadian Medical Association Journal paper, released online yesterday, says there is no "epidemic" of cervical cancer in Canada to warrant a vaccination program for girls
(Can’t understand the contention of the CMA, to me 400 deaths annually is a concern)

Across Canada, cervical cancer kills 400 women each year.
Worldwide, about 250,000 women die from the disease annually.

http://www.thestar.com/living/Health/article/242383

Is this Good or Bad? http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/242910

Eligible expenses for people taking the altruistic step of donating a kidney or part of their liver, whether to a loved one or a stranger, must be pre-approved by officials. Once that approval is obtained, the program will reimburse donors up to $5,500 for any travel, accommodation or meal expenses, or for lost income. August 3, 2:45 PM eastern daylight....