Police Lawyer pleads defence of victimless crime for
porn, but are they still prosecuting the innocent for concealing weapons for a
lawful purpose?
It's ironic that while the police continue to
unlawfully harass free men and women exercising their unalienable right to
carry a handgun, or other weapon, for a lawful purpose (defending one's
self within the context of reasonable force) - the police and their lawyers
feel adamant that THEY be free to view and distribute degrading and
"disgusting" porn at work.
On what grounds you ask?
On the grounds that their is no crime, because their is no victim.
We, therefore, ask our so-called " crown approved peace officers" - why the double standard? Are you claiming ignorance of the law, or acting out of malice against our lawful rights as secured by no less than THREE Kings?
Jul. 13, 2004. 01:00 AM
Ontario rehires Police `smut' traders. Ramsay fumes over board ruling.
OPSEU lawyer says crime `victimless'
RICHARD BRENNAN
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU
Six Ontario civil servants fired for sharing "filth" and "smut" over the Internet have got their jobs back, much to the chagrin of Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay.
"I am very unhappy about this decision," Ramsay said yesterday regarding a successful grievance launched after the six men were fired three years ago.
"I can assure you that the ministry definitely does not condone this kind of behaviour," he said, noting that two of the six have already returned to work.
The swapping of "disgusting" pornographic e-mails, which happened mostly in Northern Ontario, also involved Ontario Provincial Police officers. While some officers were disciplined, none were fired.
The ministry launched the investigation in January, 2001. Some 83 ministry employees — including men and women, some of them managers — were disciplined for violating the workplace discrimination and harassment prevention policy. Punishments ranged from a reprimand to dismissal. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) filed 27 grievances. The firings were handled first.
"To know that this number of employees are spending a part of their working day, sponsored by the taxpayers of Ontario, in transferring this type of smut and filth that poisons the workplace and threatens and intimidates people is just wrong ... and now we are going to have to take them back," Ramsay said.
On June 18 the province's grievance settlement board released an interim order telling the ministry to rehire all six. The board's final decision on punishment is yet to come, so it is unclear if they will be paid three years' back wages.
Ramsay said that until he sees the final ruling, which he hopes will carry "stiff" sanctions, he won't know if the province will appeal.
Don Eady, a lawyer for OPSEU, said the government treated the sending of dirty e-mails like a capital offence.
"It's not stealing money, it's not kiddie porn ... it is really sort of a victimless crime," he said.
In addition, Eady said, the rules around use of provincial government e-mail are much clearer now.
Ramsay said the ministry, as result of the porn scandal, has developed a "comprehensive action plan" to ensure this kind of behaviour is not repeated. It includes a written warning that pops up on users' computer screens when they sign on.
"Every morning they are reminded," he said.
A source close to the investigation told the Star the province was so sure it was going to lose the grievances that the six men's jobs were not filled, partly because the OPP set the tone by being relatively soft on its members.
"I certainly argued that. It's my understanding that nobody from the OPP got fired for anything," Eady said, reacting to that statement.
Ontario rehires Police `smut' traders. Ramsay fumes over board ruling.
OPSEU lawyer says crime `victimless'
RICHARD BRENNAN
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU
Six Ontario civil servants fired for sharing "filth" and "smut" over the Internet have got their jobs back, much to the chagrin of Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay.
"I am very unhappy about this decision," Ramsay said yesterday regarding a successful grievance launched after the six men were fired three years ago.
"I can assure you that the ministry definitely does not condone this kind of behaviour," he said, noting that two of the six have already returned to work.
The swapping of "disgusting" pornographic e-mails, which happened mostly in Northern Ontario, also involved Ontario Provincial Police officers. While some officers were disciplined, none were fired.
The ministry launched the investigation in January, 2001. Some 83 ministry employees — including men and women, some of them managers — were disciplined for violating the workplace discrimination and harassment prevention policy. Punishments ranged from a reprimand to dismissal. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) filed 27 grievances. The firings were handled first.
"To know that this number of employees are spending a part of their working day, sponsored by the taxpayers of Ontario, in transferring this type of smut and filth that poisons the workplace and threatens and intimidates people is just wrong ... and now we are going to have to take them back," Ramsay said.
On June 18 the province's grievance settlement board released an interim order telling the ministry to rehire all six. The board's final decision on punishment is yet to come, so it is unclear if they will be paid three years' back wages.
Ramsay said that until he sees the final ruling, which he hopes will carry "stiff" sanctions, he won't know if the province will appeal.
Don Eady, a lawyer for OPSEU, said the government treated the sending of dirty e-mails like a capital offence.
"It's not stealing money, it's not kiddie porn ... it is really sort of a victimless crime," he said.
In addition, Eady said, the rules around use of provincial government e-mail are much clearer now.
Ramsay said the ministry, as result of the porn scandal, has developed a "comprehensive action plan" to ensure this kind of behaviour is not repeated. It includes a written warning that pops up on users' computer screens when they sign on.
"Every morning they are reminded," he said.
A source close to the investigation told the Star the province was so sure it was going to lose the grievances that the six men's jobs were not filled, partly because the OPP set the tone by being relatively soft on its members.
"I certainly argued that. It's my understanding that nobody from the OPP got fired for anything," Eady said, reacting to that statement.
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