LYING ABOUT POLICE SHOOTINGS

Every now and then we have some pretty egregious lying going on when the Police view themselves as being under scrutiny. This time it deals with a fatal police shooting five years ago in Vancouver. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "New video of police shooting sparks calls to reopen investigation". What isn't disagreed upon is that an individual with mental problems was swinging a bicycle chain and lock at police officers. He was shot at a total of nine times by one police officer out of the five or six present. Several of the shots hit the man and the ninth was to the head and was fatal.

Here's where the whole police story and police witnesses become very strange. The man was crawling on his hands and knees and was unarmed. There were multiple police officers present presumably with batons, pepper spray etc. The man had already been shot multiple times. HE WAS UNARMED! HE WAS CRAWLING! Nevertheless the coup de grace was a shot to the head of an unarmed, badly injured individual. At that point the lying begins. The officer claims he thought the citizen was armed. The Police Complaints Commissioner was unable to determine if excessive force had been used. No charges were laid and everything was swept under the carpet until this new video surfaced taken by an out of province tourist at the time. Police assault and brutality takes place pretty much everywhere. It takes place in Toronto and it takes place in Waterloo Region. Clearly it takes place throughout the United States (remember Rodney King among many others). Police abuse of authority and power will only end when those in charge (politicians) decide it will. Not one second sooner.

A FIRM COMMITMENT TO EXTINCTION

This posting deals with nuclear waste. It's fair to say that the more I learn about the environment, the more appalled I become. Similarily the more I learn about mankind's penchant for short term profit and their ability to rationalize just about anything, the more concerned I become. Wayne MacDonald is a former publisher of the Record and is now retired in the Southampton/Port Elgin area. These towns are now referred to as Saugeen Shores. His Opinion piece was in Saturday's Waterloo Region Record and is titled "We can't turn a blind eye any longer to nuclear waste".

The basic problem is that there town council are entertaining the very bad idea of hosting the Deep Geological Repository of spent nuclear waste. In short they want to bury it up in Bruce Coubnty by Lake Huron. What a fabulous idea. Our great, great grandchildren can then spend their days dealing with the radioactivity. Governments got us into this mess but they can't obviously get us out of it, if this is their best idea. Nuclear power has always been dangerous. This danger, namely waste disposal, needs a whole lot more consideration.

POLICE SHOULD FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES

When is a dying person not responsible for their own health and safety? Obviously when they are unconscious is one correct answer. How about when they are unconscious AND in police custody? Here is a news flash to police forces everywhere. You are responsible for the health and safety of citizens whom you arrest and throw in jail. No matter the reason, no matter the charge. You have effectively legally (maybe) kidnapped them and imprisoned them against their will. From that point on excuses be damned the buck stops with you. Will anybody face manslaughter or criminal negligence charges in this case in Friday's Waterloo Region Record? If not, why not? When will there be real accountabilty for deaths and injuries in police custody cases in this country? I'll answer my own question. When the death or serious injury happens to a politicans's son or daughter. Not before. Only in Canada you say.

THERE'S AN ODOUR ABOUT THESE CHARGES

The Jesse Sansone case smelled to high heaven due to police and school board behaviour. This case smells and it's all on the Crown. Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record updates the very weird case and charges against long time defence lawyer Hal Matson. The title of the story is "Defence lawyer case tossed out". Right from the start a year and a half ago I suspected that Mr. Matson had simply pissed off one to many prosecuters. He was charged with Obstruction of Justice which was due to his giving some brief legal advise to a former client. The Crown apparently weren't impressed as his former client was now a reluctant witness in another criminal matter. It turned out that the reluctant witness wasn't called to testify afterall. Meanwhile in Superior Court a Motion to quash the charge against Mr. Matson was heard and agreed to by Justice John Sproat. His conclusion was that there simply wasn't enough evidence against Mr. Matson to support any likelihood of a conviction. Something seems very strange and perhaps just a tad too personal in all of this.

DOES GREED AND TECHNOLOGY OVERULE COMMONSENSE?

health care is our number one provincial expenditure with education being number two. I've long known of the gross mismanagement and preposterous priorities in our educational system along with the systemic waste of tax dollars. I've had my suspicions with health care and according to this opinion piece in today's Waterloo Region Record we are both wasting hundreds of millions of dollars but also damaging our citizens health. So much for the Hippocratic oath and do no damage.

The article is titled "How perfectly healthy people are turned into patients". This is a scary title because firstly we supposedly have scarce health dollars available so why are we wasting them on healthy people? Secondly it gives rise to suspicion that health care has become nothing more than a business and that business requires marketing in order to increase the market base. This is grotesque and perverse. The writer of this article (Alan Cassels) does not suggest anything nefarious. He does however make it clear that he believes that there are way too many early medical screenings and tests prior to any sysmptoms or other evidence of disease. Furthermore he believes that evidence exists that particular testing such as for breast, lung and prostate cancer has many false positives and is unreliable. It's worse than unreliable in that these tests and followup tests actually can cause harm to otherwise healthy people. This gentleman's opinion piece needs serious study and certainly does not increase confidence that the medical /health industry are solely looking out for the public interest.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CORRUPTION

Gutsy and impressive. How else can you describe the collapse of a floor of a new building yesterday in Waterloo, Ontario ? The building afterall was a new police headquarters. The story coming out is that welds holding steel beams together weren't up to par. Apparently when these beams were stressed by the pouring of concrete, the welds gave way. Isn't that just unbelieveable? I wonder if we'll ever get the full story?

Good old Quebec is at it again. Many months ago a Quebec politician publicly suggested that Quebec was the most corrupt province in Canada. Outrage followed from within Quebec but unsurprisingly not from outside Quebec. At the moment a Quebec task force is investigating "...the role of engineering-consulting firms in wider scandals over collusion, kickbacks, political financimng and money laundering that have raged at the provincial and local level." This quote is from a Waterloo Region Record story of May 10/12 titled "Execs being investigated were among party donors.". Apparently the Federal Conservatives were the biggest recipients of financial donations from these engineering-consuklting firms although the Liberals also received donations.

I guess the moral is that it's O.K. to hand out bribes and kickbacks , just be careful who you leave off your Christmas list. This reminds me of the allegations ongoing with Wall Mart in the U.S. Allegedly they were asked to hand out kickbacks to Mexican authorities in order to expand and build in Mexico. Apparently some spoilsport who was missed ratted everybody out. Remember the golden rule of corruption. It must be that all parties to sweetheart deals, bribes or kickbacks must be happy as well as anyone else who finds out about it.

OUR GOVERNMENTS ARE FAILING US

Whether municipal, regional, provincial or federal they all have one thing in common. All levels of government are supposed to be concerned with the provision of services to citizens. The priority unfortunately at all levels seems to be more ideological than practical and this is to our detriment. I've pulled five newspaper articles from my pile of current events. The Waterloo Region Record on February 10/12 had a photograph of four activists occupying the office of M.P. Harold Albrecht. These four folks were not your average, young student protesters. At least two of them appeared to be seniors and they were protesting our federal Conservative's plan to make negative changes to our Old Age Security system. Kudos to the protesters and shame on our federal government.

April 20/12 the Record carrys a story about a "friendship" walk in Caledonia. The latest incarnation of the issue of native land claims is six years old and counting. My personal experience with negotiations by powerful, well off bodies is that when they take six years much less sixty or more then they are not negotiating in good faith. They are going through the motions and stalling. A pox on our federal government both past and present. Why the hell wouldn't the natives be fed up? Why the hell should they continue to talk to those lying bastards?

The Record on April 30/12 carried a story on gay-straight alliances in our Catholic schools. It certainly appears as if again our local Catholic Board while not wanting to appear at odds with most of the rest of society, in fact are. Come on School Board. Pardon the pun but man up. If you are adamantly opposed to anything and everything homosexual, whether or not for religious reasons, then just say so. Pretending to be openminded on this issue does no one any good.

On May 2/12 the Record advised us that Premier McGuinty was taking heat over offerring Liz Witmer a financially rewarding government appointmant. Personally I applaud the Premier's move. It clarifys for the 1% of disbelieving voters just exactly how self serving and morally bankrupt politics really is. This goes for both the Liberals and Conservatives. Has Liz Witmer ever worked in her career for private industry? H as she always been one of the priveleged few working for government or quasi government including the School Board. has she thrown her Conservative Party to the winds for her own best interests . I say yes to all three. Thanks Dalton for making it very clear.

The Record on May 12/12 had an article titled "Regional police hold open house today". This open house features everything from music to horses. It's all a good news story with nary a criticism in sight. There's a cops for cancer fundraiser, donations to the food bank as well as an awards ceremony to honour citizens and officers for bravery. This is all very appropriate but at the same time I wonder if those citizens harassed, assaulted and victimized by a few bad apples and their senior management have any intention of attending. I suspect not. Unaccountable is unaccountable and Mom and apple pie P.R. events do not change that.

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS LIE, CHEAT AND STEAL

In my humble opinion they may not cheat and steal any better than other forms of government around the world, but out of necessity they've learned to lie better. A democracy gives the majority of woefully uninvolved and ignorant voters the opportunity to exchange one pack of liars, cheats and thieves for a different pack. Geoffrey Stevens in the Waterloo Region Record published this Opinion piece on April 30, 2012 titled "Stumbling from jets to orange juice". In it he details how citizens/voters don't appreciate being lied to whether it involves billions of dollars or merely a $16 glass of orange juice. The orange juice is one more Bev Oda extravagance for which she is becoming well known. Apparently her sense of entitlement has been expanding the longer she remains at the centre of Federal power as a Minister in Steven Harper's cabinet. It includes the unecessary use of limousines at taxpayers expense when most of us consider taking a taxicab to be an extravagance. It also includes moving from swanky accomodations to even swankier ones. Such is life at the top of the food chain here in Canada.

The billions of dollars must of course have to do with Defence Minister Peter McKay and the F35 fighter jets. Quoting Geoff Stevens "No country like Canada, which lacks obvious enemies to smite with overwhelming force, needs to spend $30 billion on "stealth" aircraft designed to escape detection by enemy radar. Not when there are more suitable and much cheaper planes available, ones with proven performance.". This particular issue according to Mr. Stevens is rife with plain old fashioned lying. About $10 billion worth of lying.

Mr. Stevens final analysis is that both examples show a cavalier attitude towards wasting taxpayers dollars and both involve deceiving those who are paying the freight ie. you and I. He feels that the hubris and hypocrisy of a Bev Oda may well in the long run be just as damaging to the Conservatives' credibilty as the billions of dollars they want to swindle us out of for faulty, overpriced and unneeded "stealth" fighter planes.

CANADA ON THE BRINK OF A POLICE STATE

Now is crunch time. The investigation by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director has concluded exactly what every other honest, open minded Canadian already knew. Our Police Forces in Toronto nearly two years ago were confused, incompetent and out of control. They lashed out at innocent bystanders, violated their civil liberties and committed massive unlawful acts. They assaulted, kidnapped and imprisoned innocent citizens because they the police were frustrated, angry and unaccountable. All of this has been documented and publicized most recently in today's Waterloo Region Record. The title is "Watchdog blasts police for "gross violations" at G20.

The orders came from the top. The unlawful commands and arrests of over 1,000 citizens were not due to lower echelon, individual decision making. Yes individual and groups of officers assaulting citizens happened on the streets. This was almost to be expected when police were ordered to illegally detain and arrest law abiding citizens. Some of these citizens could be expected and indeed had the right to defend themselves from illegal police behaviour. What our idiot police and their supervisers have failed to see is the future. Do you think that getting away with these kinds of abuses will make the streets safer for either citizens or the police themselves? The police have shields, helmuts and offensive weapons galore. The more they attack and assault citizens the more likely there will eventually be organized resistance.

Right now is the future. Heads at the top must roll. Criminal charges must be laid, not just against "overenthusiastic" street level cops. Perhaps the police unions will be more reasonable if they see that it isn't just the lower level cops being scapegoated. If they were to see those giving out illegal and unlawful commands being charged and convicted, they might be more willing to see the odd bad apple who takes advantage of the chaos and disorder, in order to crack a few heads, being charged and fired. It must start at the top. Simply pointing fingers and saying "SHAME" is not good enough. Simply promising not to do it again isn't good enough. Simply offerring up a few lower echelon scapegoats is not good enough. If our politicians, bureaucrats and police hierarchy get away with massive public misconduct and unlawful behaviour in Canada's largest city, then we are all doomed. We are headed for a police state and the end of democracy and accountability. Some say we are already there. We are about to find out.

BIG BROTHER AND BAD LAWS

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "G20 activist acquitted on explosives charges". The fellows name was Byron Sonne and he is one more to a long list of persons who were arrested PRIOR to the G20 conference in Toronto nearly two years ago. Not only arrested, charged and imprisoned but since found either not guilty or all charges were dropped. This is neither civilized behaviour by the Police and Crown nor is it democratic behaviour. In Mr. Sonne's case I suggest that his legal victory while good still leaves ridiculous laws available for Police and Crown to abuse in the future.

The essence of the law is that all the Crown have to prove is intent to do something, not the actual act itself. That is nothing more than Big Brother mindreading tricks. If the state are able to convince either a jury or a Judge that they can sucessfully read an accused person's mind and find intent to do a deed then it's just as good and legal as if they had caught them in the act actually doing the deed. This is incredible arrogant bullshit and should not be permitted in a supposedly civilized and democratic society. The Judge acquitted Mr. Sonne not because it was a bad law but in fact the Judge reinforced the law by saying that the Crown simply weren't able to prove Mr. Sonne planned to make bombs. Meanwhile everyone agrees that there weren't any bombs and that the chemicals necessary to make them are all individually legal to own and possess. It's my understanding that household cleaners and fertilizer can be made into something explosive. It's called chemistry and it's LEGAL. It is not possible in the vast majority of cases to prove someone else's criminal intent prior to them doing the deed. Suspicions perhaps. Concerns perhaps. But proof? Absolutely ridiculous. This is grotesque law and has no place in a democratic society. Let third world dictatorships throw their citizens in jail for alleged conspiracies and or "intent" to do this or that. In Canada alleged criminal acts should not be based upon jedi mind tricks including mind reading.

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BY AUTHORITIES

On May 9/12 the Waterloo Region Record carried this story "Inmates captive to rights abuses". The sub title was "Ashley Smith case could happen again, new U of T report finds." "The fact is there are still women imprisoned who are subject to long periods of segregation and uses of force despite their mental-health status" . Other inmates in similar situations as Ashley Smith were described "...sat down with K.J. who has spent the last 14 years in prison on what was originally a six year sentence.".. "it's not uncommon for the sentences of mentally-ill inmates to balloon in custody because of additional institutional charges often brought on by disruptive behaviour.". Kim Pate of the Elizabeth Fry Society suggests Canada "...needs more mental-health units in hospitals rather than prisons attempting to provide mental-health services".

THIRD WORLD WORKERS DIE EVERY DAY ON THE JOB

8,000 dead workers while on the job over the last twenty years. That averages more than one every single day of the year ie 400 per year. What single country am I referring to as a third world country? If you guessed Canada you are one of the few. The Waterloo Region Record is hardly a bastion of left wing socialist radicals. Nevertheless yesterday's Record carrys their Editorial titled "Another view: Too many workers die on the job". After the Westray Mine explosion and deaths in 1992, the federal government passed legislation which introduced changes to the Criminal Code . These changes enabled the Crown to charge corporate chiefs who were negligent in protecting workers lives and health while on the job. To date the sum total of charges equals exactly zero. This is despite 8,000 more deaths in Canada while on the job since 1992. A skeptic might be inclined to think that corporate Canada look at workers deaths as merely a cost of doing business. A bigger skeptic might think that our politicians and governments agree with them.

MORE REGIONAL POLICE FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES

Boy that headline sounds pretty serious. The headline on the front page of today's Waterloo Region Record sounds serious as well: " Constable covered up for fellow officer's alleged thefts". Then I got into the article and broke out laughing. The thefts included one dildo and a couple of nude pictures. What the hell I thought, why is anybody making a big deal out of this ?

It turns out that one Officer Knox in his infinite stupidity allegedly decided to relieve a burglary victim of her personal sex toy. Regardless of the alleged item he stole, think about this carefully. He's called as a police officer to investigate an attempted home break-in. While there, on duty, he takes (allegedly) a shine to a dildo he finds in the victim's home. He then steals it probably assurring himself that she will be too embarassed to report it. Apparently not. Then a month later this same officer goes to a home in Waterloo about a suicidal woman. Once there this twit is alleged to have helped himself to some nude or seminude photos of this suicidal woman. Come on now if she's already on the edge do you think stealing possibly embarassing pictures of her is going to help her? Clearly if convicted this guy lacks some major requisites to be a police officer.

Going back to his fellow officer things are shaping up somewhat differently. He has pled guilty to obstruction of justice due to his removing the allegedly stolen items from his colleague's locker. As his lawyer said "He did it blindly out of loyalty to another officer". "I submit there was nothing in it for him". He's been placed on probation for a year by the Courts. What is also disturbing in this whole scenario is the number of other police officers who were shown the sex toy and the photos and apparently didn't think Officer Knox's behaviour needed improvement. Until various professions such as teachers, doctors and police realize that bad behaviour by one member stains the credibilty of all, these kinds of behaviour will continue.

TORIES GO ABOUT THEIR NASTY BUSINESS

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carrys this Opinion piece "Harper's war against wages, the environment" written by Thomas Walkom. This war or revolution is done silently and with stealth so as not to alarm the population who might otherwise object. The Omnibus Bill currently before parliamnt dealing with the budget also unfortunately carrys these attacks on wages and the environment. They include eliminating eligibility for Employment Insurance as well as reducing eligibilty for social programs. Quoting Mr. Walkom "Rather the revolution is economic. It is aimed at eliminating regulations-particularily environmental regulations-that interfere in profit making. It is aimed at reducing wages (which is why the Conservatives take swipes at unions whenever possible). It is aimed at scaling back any social programs-from old age security to employment insurance- that helps to keep wages up." These are only part of the reason why I am proud to say that I have never voted Conservative in my life. Most average Canadians who vote Tory are not bad people. They are exactly however what the Tories/Conservatives want and that is uninformed people. This is what unfortunately drives democracies namely uninformed citizens.

WAY TO GO MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT

One of the great fallacies I heard as a child was that we're all equal. Reminds me of the quote about the majesty of the Judicial System and how in all its power and authority it will treat the rich man who steals a loaf of bread exactly as it would treat the poor man. Almosat like tha alleged rule of law where we are all equal under the law. Bullshit! Yesterday legal scholars were giving opinions as to how difficult it would be for any person convicted of a crime and who had renounced their Canadian citizenship, to get back into Canada to live. Guess what? Today we're advised that the deal/deed was done in March via the Federal government and Conrad Black will be back in Canada this evening. Apparently his long time pro Conservative Party and ideology have not hurt him one bit.

Now to the closer to home. Today's Waterloo Region Record advises us that 88 year old Jane Brewer is getting her licence back today. She was involved in a serious car accident a year ago and interestingly there's a lot of dancing around as to who was at fault. Jane Brewer of course is a decades longtime municpal and currently regional Councillor. Meanwhile two years ago my then seventy-eight year old father in law didn't have an accident. He didn't have any tickets or any history of driving problems. In fact he was driving commercially (15 passenger van) taking old order Mennonites routinely across the border for trips to Pennsylvania and other U.S. locations. He was responsibly maintaining his health and had taken and passed his most recent eye exam. Unfortunately the Doctor's paperwork was illegible to the Ministry of Transport who immediately pulled my father in laws licence. Two years later, multiple eye tests and two out of town driving exams (Toronto and London) later and he still doesn't have his licence back. This was all because of the eye Doctor's sloppy handwriting. By the way I rode with him driving on Highway 401 only a couple of months prior to his troubles starting and his driving was superior to well over half the other drivers of any age on the road. The Ontario M.O.T. are totally unreasonable, arrogant and dogmatic. My father in law is a Mennonite, now 80 years old and shocked by this turn of events. He is now learning of the capricious nature of our governments. They are power hungry and authoritarian. They are running out the clock on him while having illegally and unreasonably discriminated against him. Being Mennonite they are very confident that he won't sue them and that is part of the problem. If my father in law were rich, non mennonite and or a well known politician this would have all been cleared up in just about five minutes. RULE OF LAW MY ASS!

ONTARIO MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT CREDIBILITY CALLED INTO QUESTION (Yet Again)

I despise credentialism. I like facts, truth, fair debate and exchange of ideas and opinions. Apparently I'm in the minority with my strong dislike of credentialism. Perhaps my dislike is based upon more than two decades of watching credentialed experts abuse their education and experience in exchange for the almighty dollar. Sure we all have to make a dollar but pretending to speak on behalf of the public good while spouting client driven drivel is beyond the pale.

After saying that I am now going to use the very recent, game changing opinions and actions of credentialed experts, ordinary citizens and believe it or not a municipal council. Starting last Thursday, the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) have lit a huge bonfire under the bloated, arrogant, pompous butt of the Ontario M.O.E.. They and their partners in pollution (Chemtura) have only just started to squeal their outrage. I'll be honest it does give me immense personal satisfaction to see Woolwich Council accept the Resolution presented to them last evening from CPAC. This Resolution essentially advises Council and all other parties that CPAC have examined the position of Chemtura, their consultants and the M.O.E. and found it ridiculous. The cleanup of the groundwater in Elmira scheduled to be completed by 2028 will not be possible under the current regieme. Furthermore CPAC have clearly accused the Ontario M.O.E. of having entered into a self serving agreement with the polluter namely Uniroyal/Chemtura. This agreement or "sweetheart deal" indemnifies Uniroyal/Chemtura from liability for pollution on their site that was known as of 1991.

Therefore this citizen Resolution as well as Woolwich Committee of the Whole endorsement of it, is a direct repudiation of all the horse manure, misdirection, bafflegab and overall mushroom treatment given to Elmira citizens over the last twenty-three years by their provincial government, local polluter and assorted hangers on. Every once in a while government fueled, initiated and promoted bullshit gets thrown back into their face by citizens who've had quite enough Thank You.

RECORD NEWSPAPER BACKS JULIAN ICHIM

Well I guess there's a first time for everything. Today's Waterloo Region Record has one of their Editorials namely "Another view: Julian Ichim's civil action" actually supporting the civil litigation as it could assist the public to understand various aspects of the policing behaviour before, during and after the G20 in Toronto. Of course their Editorial takes the requisite shots at Julian for his various actions and activities over the years. This makes it all the more stunning for this very establishemnt, very conservative newspaper to be able to support Julian's lawsuit against the Crown and regional Police. The Record however are correct. There are very many questions that the public have the right to know the answers to in regards to the behaviour of our police forces. They have not covered themselves remotely in any kind of glory regarding the G20 in Toronto. If Julian Ichim can shine some more light on their motives, their methods and their behaviour then more power to him. The public need to know exactly what are the rules of engagement in regards to undercover police going into the community and befriending them, up to and including living with citizens. Citizens I might add who are not the Mafia. Citizens who are not international terrorists. Most of these citizens are young idealists who sincerely are trying to help the disadvantaged. Something is very wrong in using an international conference as an opportunity to attack social activists.

NADIA GEHL MURDER

This is where our judicial system generally shines. A young , local, honest woman is shot dead in broad daylight. The only thing she might be guilty of is bad judgement in her choice of men. Even that is a stretch because her husband was well liked and respected. The Crown and Police had a difficult investigation as far as evidence went because the husband also had a rock solid alibi. Clearly he was not the shooter. Ron Cyr has been convicted of first degree murder as has his two former friends namely Zvolensky and Qahwash. The convictions of all three was not unexpected. The gun was found and the two friends of Ron Cyr had ties to it. Each defendant testified against the other two while claiming themselves innocent.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here. While following the trial reports in the Waterloo Region Record I noticed that Qahwash was often outside the loop with Zvolensky and Cyr. I wondered if he was basically the patsy in the whole thing. If he was and I say IF then the lesson here is to choose your friends carefully. Everybody turned on everybody. If Qahwash wasn't part of the conspiracy and thus had no prior knowledge then why the hell did he not walk but run to the nearest exit after he found out? O.K. if you aren't comfortable being a rat especially in regards to your best friend you still need to get and stay the hell clear of him. If as Qahwash testifed his friend Zvolensky confessed to shooting Nadia Gehl, then if you aren't going to turn him in, then get the hell out of town, Jack. Staying with him and Ron Cyr after you found out about the murder has basically guaranteed your conviction. In a perfect world it shouldn't but our judicial system is a long, long ways from perfect.

I believe the single trial for all three defendants was not helpful to them. I'm really not sure if separate trials would have been practical or manageable or even more just although I suspect it would have been harder to convict Qahwash. Interestingly it was Qahwash who spoke when given the chance after the verdicts were read. He stated that he had told the truth and the system let him down. Also interestingly it is my understanding that he was the one of the three who said the least incriminating things about himself while being recorded by the undercover police officer. All very interesting.