It’s very rare that I appeal to the community and there are some that will suggest that this appeal is strictly for myself; maybe for selfish reasons, but it’s certainly not meant to be treated.
On February 7th my life changed. I had gone to court to try and collect from a client. There was no defense for them really.
My phone woke late at night and my life has changed since. Cornwall Police Cst McGregor stated that I had made a threatening phone call and warned me not to do so again.
I was bewildered and half asleep. I never made any such call. The Cst said my number was on this person’s caller id. I stumbled to the dark and turned on my computer and learned about spoofing. I clearly had been spoofed. I emailed our chief late that night who emailed back that Saturday asking for my email address which was weird as we had just emailed each other?
That Sunday was our 5th anniversary event for CFN and I’d been busy all morning getting ready and then setting up for the afternoon event.
That night I was again awakened by Cst McGregor. He informed me that I had to attend the station as I’d called the party back after having been warned. It was said that this time I’d threatened to kill them. It was incredulous and I was in shock.
The next day I was put in a cell, charged, released after being given conditions and of course smeared in the police blotter which the media picked up. It’s all over the net now with other sites picking up the story as well.
Shortly thereafter Cst McGregor phone me, again waking me at night demanding I take content down from this newspaper or he would charge me with breach. At that point I asked him to put that in writing and suggested I come down to the station and get it.
I instead called my paralegal; Mr. James Moak, and that has been the last communication I’ve received from Cst. McGregor.
At no point did the police review my phone or phone records.
The crown; Ms Jennifer Burke, had refused to issue a production order for my phone records. A production order comes from the phone provider. She had one from the complainant which showed my number calling them and her disclosure states that I made calls on specific dates, at specific times, and of specific duration.
My phone and phone records clearly showed I never made a single such call. When we asked Ms Burke to issue her refusal in writing she issued a production order.
That production order, issued over three months ago also stated that I did not make the calls.
Ms Burke was removed from the case and replaced with one Julie C Scott. To date my charges still have not been dropped by the crown.
We won’t even go into the cost of the legal bill to anyone going through this case of what appears to be abuse or gaming of the system; most likely for political reasons.
Ironically a party shared with me that a City Councilor who also runs Heart of the City was heard telling a member of the DBIA that I was going to be taken care of back in December 2013. One of the gold sponsors of Heart of the City is one Neil Burke who happens to be Jennifer Burke’s dad.
Ms Burke also was prosecuting a very bizarre A10 (restraining order) complaint against me by South Stormont Deputy Mayor Tammy Hart. In her disclosure at no point is fear mentioned by Ms Hart who complained of receiving emails from me and that I’d shot video of her at Township council.
Ms Burke pursued that complaint and at one point even tried to have Mr. Moak pulled from the case. (which he wasn’t)
Can you imagine if you or one of your friends or family members were put through this? As someone who had zero trouble with the law before, living nearly 50 years, can you imagine being put in a jail cell or being finger printed? Can you imagine people calling you from all over the world asking about it?
Ironically a few years before he died I had a facebook friend from someone who knew exactly what it was like to be framed. Gerry Conlon was very supportive even up to about a month before he died.
This case isn’t about me in the big picture. It’s about a justice system in Ontario that seems to be loaded down in politics and cronyism and really doesn’t care how much of the court’s time and public purse gets spent.
Crown attorney’s appear to have no checks or balances. No real accountability. Nor for the most part, except for gross cases in the extreme do police officers, and even our Attorney General is a partisan position.
I’ve only met Madame Meilleur once. I can’t imagine her knowingly allowing this to happen to anyone in Ontario.
I sent an email out to all of our MPP’s in Ontario and had a few responses back, all of support.
Our MPP did send a letter to the AG.
As of September 11, the day of this piece, there has been no communication from the AG’s office.
The AG’s office also has refused to divulge any numbers about the Cornwall office financials as the buzz is that this office under Mr. Simard has one of the highest per capita uses of public dollars in the province.
This case runs deep and sadly has many political tentacles. Is it unique? Is it simply an oversight and maybe a few people gaming the system?
Frankly I hope so. One of our local criminal lawyers once said media should spend more time in courtrooms because we were the only defense the public had from abuse. She may have been right…
I want my charges dropped and my innocence made categorically clear. I want those responsible held accountable. I don’t want anyone, no matter whom, to ever go through this. If this can be done to me; it can be done to anyone.
Ontario deserves better. Ontarian’s deserve better.
I am asking people that care about the justice system of our province to step up and not only sign the petition below, but to contact the Attorney General’s office in Toronto.
Thank you all sincerely,
j
attorneygeneral@ontario.ca
Telephone toll free: 1-800-518-7901
Telephone Toronto: 416-326-2220
Mailing address:
Ministry of the Attorney General
McMurtry-Scott Building
720 Bay Street, 11th Floor
Toronto, ON
M7A 2S9
[emailpetition id=”12″]
[signaturelist id=”12″]
(please note that due to cache signatures may take awhile to appear)
Regretfully, the Cornwall Police Service is headed by a discreditable Chief, the Cornwall Police Services Board is steered by scandalized and interest conflicted politicians, and a locally based community of harassers vilifies and humiliates a public serving journalist, with not just impunity, but the tacit support and approval of the Crown it would seem.
That law enforcement has been brought into disrepute is bad enough; must we continue and scandalize the courts as well?
Alas, in view of the culture of oppression and retribution that is Cornwall’s political and social condition, personal letters to MPP Jim McDonell and Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur will be, for me, a more prudent action than signing a petition that creates a target for SD&G’s bullies and droogs.
You can do both Simon, really. You’re not afraid to sign are you?
Jamie your charges will be dropped.But only a few minutes before the trial starts.They pull this crap all the time.
There is no justice at all only JUST US. The ones that you have to be really afraid of are the ones in suits and not the regular person on the streets. I feel so bad for Jamie, for Officer Dunlop and anybody who has been completely innocent and charged for no reason at all. I cannot live in a place like that at all. As long as people like that remain in the community I would never ever live there at all.
Email addresses will not appear and will not be retrievable by others?
Fear is a debilitating condition caused by the belief that there is danger or threat, well I don’t even fear death (just hope it wipes it’s feet before coming in… eewwww, the places it’s been); why fear anything that life (and its low-lives) might throw?
It’s but for the sake of family and friends that I would risk reprisals from the openly corrupt and incompetent leadership of Cornwall’s police service, and the mean and cowardly retaliation that is expected of a mayor and the councillors with whom they are virtual conspirators.
(Plus I’m not big on the “cloud”, 3rd party apps, and all the other crap that is coopted by our keepers to undermine dissent)
Hugger. Nothing that you post on the net can’t be traced to your IP address. Never post anything, even under an alias, that you don’t want monitored by the police or anyone else.
Hugger Furtz is right. It goes according to your IP address and believe me those who know how to hack can find it let alone the cops. Jamie can know my IP address easily. Everybody is exposed on the net even under an assumed name.
Hugger if one goes to the public library and uses their computers they cannot hide either because when you go on you have to tell the clerk and show your library card and everything is recorded. People who think that they are safe is wrong.
@ Simon
Simon, I am curious, did you send/mail your letter of support for Admin?
A person should have nothing to fear if they tell the truth and if we really do support the truth and support Admin, then we should stand up for him and for what we believe in don’t you think?
We must take into consideration the fact that what if we were in this position, wouldn’t we want supportive people around us and in our corner, hopefully?
I believe there is a saying/quote: There but for the grace of God go I. That could happen to anyone and because it did and because it is wrong, we must and should stand up for the rights of others, always.
One day it could be us having this terrible thing happen and then we would reflect and wonder why we did not take a stand when we should have to support another in such need.
I hope more will add their support. I hope more will give this serious thought and send out a mail regarding this issue that involves an innocent community resident, community giver, community minded person who really does care about this city and the people in it.
Talking is ok, but taking action is what become important.
Can we all say we took action this time to help another in need of our support?
Bullies want people to be afraid. Bullies want people to back down from what they believe in. This is what bullies do best, intimidation of others.
That is why our names/our written support/letters are so important to help Admin at this time.
This is not about bullies, this is about a good person enduring a very bad and horrific experience.
Bullies need people who are willing to take a stand and not cringe in the background being afraid to speak up.
It is the voice of good people coming forth in this hour of need and request by Admin, that takes the bite out of the bully.
Bullies really never win, they just like to think they do!!!!
OWC this case has a lot of eyeballs on it. This petition is a huge reflection on our community and especially for those that refuse to sign it. I know I’m innocent already in that the production order categorically proves that I did not make any calls as per the crown’s disclosure. Frankly I should never have been charged in this manner and the four other law enforcement agencies have told me that they would never charge someone without having checked their phone or phone records. Why would any crown push such a case? I know it’s a matter of time even if the AG allows the current crown to drag this to an eventual trial; but those that remained silent and did nothing…well that will be quite clear.
Admin,
I agree, and now is the time for others to come forward and support you if they are really concerned about what is taking place.
I wish you the very best regarding this terrible incident that never should have taken place.
Do you have plans for something other than an online petition, something that would give others access to adding their names/or sending a letter on your behalf?
OWC all we can do is sign the petition and contact the AG. If they want they can drag this to trial waaaaaay down the road. The frustrating is that those that made the complaint won’t get charged until my charges are done with. They are laughing at this entire charade.
Admin,
They might not be laughing in the future when other things/truths are revealed.
How long does it take for a name to show up on the petition?
Don’t want to post twice.
Furtz it’s a cache thing. It can take a few minutes or even as long as an hour; but they show up:) We’re up to 50 signatures.
It is wonderfully naïve to think that there is nothing to fear in telling the truth… look around. There are mass graves brimming with the truth, and good citizens taking sanctuary in foreign countries and foreign embassies for the sake of truth.
And bullies are winning when they make our society cower; censored, stripped of former freedoms, our travel impeded, spied on by our own government, systemic paranoia.
Even the media cowers — the nationwide SUN media runs a column regularly mocking the beliefs of a religion that preaches love (fair and free comment one supposes); would they dare publish a Tom Harpur that debunked the one that terrorists espouse?
Running headlong into an enemy is one strategy, but I’ll take another… Sun Tzu is long gone, but his take on art is not.
PS
The letters are written, and will be reflected on for a day. They’ll be sent off tomorrow with a copy to JG.
Simon, I do understand what you are saying.
Bullies only win when we give them the power to win and supporting others in need, telling the truth, and not condoning the actions of a bully sends a very powerful message.
There will always exist the deniers, the mockers and the bullies along with the hatred and harm being done to so many in our world.
We do have the power to make change happen. Every voice against wrong is a step in the right direction.
I am certain the letter your wrote is and will be welcomed. I have done likewise and also sent mine the other day to JG.
I would like to add Simon, that not only will the letter you wrote be welcomed but I am certain very appreciated.
It is good to know that others truly care enough to sign a petition and to write a letter/e-mail.
When was the last time a petition ever worked?
It really makes me wonder why a Police chief would go out of his way to help a con man yet does nothing to help clear an innocent man of false charges
People sign a petition to show solidarity in belief and support of another/person/cause.
Petitions work in the sense that the minute you sign up, you have stood up for a belief/cause/need, whatever that may consist of depending on the nature of the petition.
Jamie the law is not supposed to act like that at all and it shows that Cornwall is mighty corrupted – not just a little but mighty is the word to describe it. I cannot live in such a place at all and we were talking about that a while ago. To live in such a place I might as well live in Detroit Michigan or Chicago Illinois and such places.
Jamie, i wonder if you should enter a lawsuit against the cornwall police? For wrongful arrest and defamation of character. It might be expensive, but if you are innocent and they are proven that they don’t know what they are doing you might win.
Hi Jamie – you state you hope no one has to experience what you are going through and that its an oversight…
I am on the same river as you, just a different boat. I was arrested for the same charges, falsely as well, 10 minutes after the complaint was made, which was 12 hours after the alleged event occurred. There was no investigation although the police blotter says there was, and even though the officer states there was, and none of the witnesses were questioned – even though the accuser states in the complaint that there was a witness.
The Cornwall Police department need to be removed. They are a private security company in the grand scheme of things, and their behavior and conduct with the public is less cordial than that of a security guard. I suggest you begin a petition to have the Cornwall Police replaced with another branch of the law enforcement. It is quite obvious that the arrest is more important than the requirements of the law, and the truth. That’s a bad attitude for anyone in authority to have… and like a cancer, it tends to be fatal. Time to cut out one of the tumors in your city.
If the CPS were removed the only option would be the OPP. And to me that is not a valid option.