Police will investigate blogger's complaint
Acquittal Charles LeBlanc found not guilty of obstructing a police officer
Candice Mac Lean
Telegraph-Journal
As published on page C2 on November 28, 2006
SAINT JOHN - A complaint lodged with the Saint John Police Force by Charles LeBlanc is being revisited now that the Fredericton blogger has had his day in court.
LeBlanc was acquitted on charges of obstructing a police officer on Friday after a lengthy trial. The charges stemmed from a demonstration in June at the Atlantica business conference in Saint John.
"We can't do a parallel investigation so we wait until the court trial is finished," Sgt. Pat Bonner of the Saint John Police Force said Monday.
Bonner said in these kind of circumstances, some people choose not to go ahead with their complaint after a trial, but LeBlanc is insisting on pressing ahead with his. Bonner couldn't provide details on the complaint.
LeBlanc's politically driven blog, and his trial, gained much attention, and was covered by The New York Times Monday.
The judge in the trial of the self-styled Internet journalist said Leblanc was just trying to do his job when he was arrested by police during a rowdy protest at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre.
Evidence presented during LeBlanc's trial showed the blogger was simply snapping pictures of the protest that spilled into the lobby of the convention centre when Saint John police officer Sgt. John Parks pinned him to the floor and arrested him for obstruction.
While Judge William McCarroll praised police officers at the demonstration for their bravery in controlling an unruly mob, he said LeBlanc clearly was not part of the protest and there was no good reason to arrest him.
"He was simply plying his trade, gathering photographs and information for his blog alongside other news reporters," said the judge.
The judge also was critical of Parks for deleting at least one photograph of himself from LeBlanc's camera following the arrest.
McCarroll said the officer needed a search warrant to look through the images on the camera, which he did not have.
"He had no legal right to erase a picture from Mr. LeBlanc's camera."
Parks testified during the trial that he had only deleted one picture but LeBlanc says more than 200 were gone when he got his camera back.
Outside the courtroom, LeBlanc, tears in his eyes, praised the decision.
"Charles LeBlanc don't lie," said the blogger who has raised the hackles of some New Brunswickers with his intrusive pictures and strong opinions. He also promised to ask for an inquiry into police conduct in his case. He said if he doesn't get it, he would be blogging about his unlawful arrest for years to come.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Myself and Tim Smith will meet the Chief of Police this evening at 6:00pm in his office!!!
Now? This should be an interesting meeting????
MY COURT CASE WILL BE IN THE IRVING PAPER THIS MORNING!!!!
I just learned this evening. I wonder what happen there?
I bet they're going to add a jab against me???? Should be interesting but the New York Times got the story first...lol
I bet they're going to add a jab against me???? Should be interesting but the New York Times got the story first...lol
WOMAN TO LOSE HER TREES AND LAWN TO PIPELINE!!!
I'll write more on this issue when I get back to Fredericton.
Monday, November 27, 2006
FRIENDS OF ROCKWOOD PARK CONFRONTS MAYOR OF SAINT JOHN!!!!
Maybe someone can write a comment on what happen tonight at the Boys and Girls Club. I took some quick pictures and the Mayor was quickly escorted out the door. They are truly a very determine group of people. < MORE PICTURES INSIDE!!!! >
Anyone who wishes to contact me?
Can do so by email
oldmaison@yahoo.com
Phone - 1-506-693-9464
Charles LeBlanc
75 Carleton Street
Room # 5
Fredericton
E2B- 3T2
Thank You!
oldmaison@yahoo.com
Phone - 1-506-693-9464
Charles LeBlanc
75 Carleton Street
Room # 5
Fredericton
E2B- 3T2
Thank You!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
WELCOME TO THE READERS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES!!!
SERGEANT JOHN PARKS FROM THE SAINT JOHN POLICE FORCE MAKES THE NEW YORK TIMES!!!!
Click below -
target="_blank">Charles
Blog
A Blogger Who’s a Court-Approved Journalist
Article Tools Sponsored By
By IAN AUSTEN
Published: November 27, 2006
Many bloggers describe themselves as journalists. Last week Charles LeBlanc, a rooming house resident who lives on social assistance in Fredericton, New Brunswick, received a court decision establishing his journalistic credentials.
The confirmation came last Friday when a judge dismissed charges against Mr. LeBlanc of obstructing a police officer.
For the last two years, Mr. LeBlanc has been expressing his views on poverty and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder through a blog (oldmaison.blogspot.com). The idea, he said, came from benefactors who also provided him a small digital camera and a computer.
He declined to name the people, however, partly because at least one of them is employed by his favorite target: the many companies in New Brunswick controlled by the Irving family, which owns, according to a report on media ownership released by Canada’s Senate earlier this year, all the English-language daily newspapers in New Brunswick.
In June, Mr. LeBlanc went to Saint John, New Brunswick, to report on a protest against a meeting of chamber of commerce and board of trade members from Atlantic Canada and New England. Protestors stormed the meeting. Mr. LeBlanc was among those arrested.
Officers from the Saint John police testified they are regular readers of Mr. LeBlanc’s blog as part of their effort to gather intelligence on protests. William J. McCarroll, the provincial court judge who heard Mr. LeBlanc’s case, wrote in his decision that “Mr. LeBlanc is a ‘blogger.’ I’m sure that many, if not the majority of Saint Johners, are not familiar with this word.”
After reviewing videotape from a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation crew at the scene, sometimes in slow motion, the judge found that it contradicted testimony of the arresting officer, Sergeant John Parks.
“Members of the so called mainstream media were taking photographs and filming in the same area without interference from the police,” the judge wrote in a 20-page decision. “I believe it’s fair to say that the defendant was doing nothing wrong at the time he was approached by Sergeant Parks and placed under arrest. He was simply plying his trade, gathering photographs and information for his blog alongside other reporters.”
The judge also said that the police had no right to delete about 200 photos stored on Mr. LeBlanc’s camera.
Mr. LeBlanc said he had considered improving his skills by studying journalism at a local university. That is, until its journalism department accepted a donation of 1 million Canadian dollars from the Irvings. “Do you think I could study in a classroom listening to an Irving employee?” he asked. IAN AUSTEN
THE NEXT STEP IS THE NEW BRUNSWICK LEGISLATURE!!!
As with the case of the Saint John Police Force? The staff of the New Brunswick Legislature never gave me the reasons I was ban from the People's House.
This issue is going to get really dirty. I told a few people the reason I was banned from the Legislature and it goes right to Shawn Graham's office.
I must have a meeting with the Premier on this one.
We have Quebecers running the show and they don't like to be told what to do.
This battle could also end in the courts because I'm ready to get myself arrested on this issue.
I'll write more on this issue when I get back to the Capital!
Click below for more stories on this issue -
target="_blank">Charles
Blog
Harold Doherty is the best!!!!
If I would have tried to represent myself? It would have been an almost impossible task winning this case.
How many poor people are in jail because they were denied access to a lawyer?
That's what I wish to know???
How many poor people are in jail because they were denied access to a lawyer?
That's what I wish to know???
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