Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Attorney General won’t say how many convicted in wake of 2010 Toronto gang sweep

Toronto police typically aren’t shy when it comes to announcing how many arrests were made and charges laid after one of their anti-gang sweeps.

But it’s a different story when the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General is asked for a status update on the most recent major initiative targeting gangs, May 2010’s Project Corral.

Back then, police provided a list of 67 names, with ages and hometowns of each of the accused — except for those under 18 — and the total of 457 charges they faced.

Yet when the Star asked the Attorney General for a tally of how many convictions have been registered to date, the paper was told that “due to privacy concerns in YCJA (Youth Criminal Justice Act) matters, as well as publication bans in certain cases, it would be inappropriate to provide the lists of convictions and dispositions as requested.”

Critics say these costly, large-scale gang projects are unwieldy and that many accused walk away without their charges sticking. How many this time? The ministry refuses to say.

With no update available, a Star analysis of reports shows there are about two dozen accused gang leaders, most still in custody, who are awaiting trial in the new year.

In December, two Project Corral defendants were found guilty in Superior Court, one of importing cocaine, the other of possessing a firearm.

What happened to the roughly 40 other accused remains a mystery.
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Betsy Powell 

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