Ex-Ontario Attorney General Reported Arrested

[Dennis Ruhl]

Instead, I thought couriers had to be licenced because of bonding issues. Would anyone want to trust a package to someone with outstanding arrest warrants?

After Bryant's probable acquittal (my opinion) I can see a fertile lawsuit against whatever agency employed Sheppard.  The reputation of a public figure would have enormous value plus the cost and stress of the defence.

 

[mariomike]

After Bryant's probable acquittal (my opinion) I can see a fertile lawsuit against whatever agency employed Sheppard.  The reputation of a public figure would have enormous value plus the cost and stress of the defence.

I agree.
1) Road safety. Just like the fast food drivers are ( or used to be? ) they are paid by call, not by the hour. I saw a show on TV - an American city, I think - where if the bike courier was late, they did not get paid. Public safety was put at risk.
2 ) Using un-bonded couriers. Imagine handing a valuable package to someone "on the lam"? ( Sorry, do they still say "on the lam"? ) 

 

[vonGarvin]

I agree.
1) Road safety. Just like the fast food drivers are ( or used to be? ) they are paid by call, not by the hour. I saw a show on TV - an American city, I think - where if the bike courier was late, they did not get paid. Public safety was put at risk.
2 ) Using un-bonded couriers. Imagine handing a valuable package to someone "on the lam"? ( Sorry, do they still say "on the lam"? ) 

The hep ones do!

 

[mariomike]

The hep ones do!

I watched to much "Bowery Boys" as a kid. Gosh, I still do!  ;D

 

[mariomike]

Toronto Sun: "A Plea for Justice:
Girlfriend of dead cyclist hopes the truth prevails when Michael Bryant faces his charges in court":
http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/mark_bonokoski/2009/09/27/11143711-sun.html

 

[The Bread Guy]

This, from the National Post, shared in accordance with the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright  Act:

All criminal charges have been withdrawn against former Ontario attorney general Michael Bryant in connection with an incident last August that left a 33-year-old bicycle courier dead.

Special prosecutor Richard Peck made the announcement in a Toronto courtroom Tuesday morning.

Police alleged there was a verbal altercation and collision between a man driving a Saab convertible and a cyclist.

The driver then allegedly drove off. Some witnesses alleged the vehicle accelerated quickly while the cyclist was clinging to the side of the car, before he fell to the road.

Darcy Allan Sheppard, a bike courier, died in hospital shortly after.

Bryant had faced charges of criminal negligence causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.

Witnesses to the crash near the corner of Bay and Bloor streets told reporters the driver steered the car into oncoming lanes.

The cyclist, hanging from the vehicle on the curb side for about 100 metres, struck trees and a mailbox before he hit the ground.

Bryant's role as a former Ontario attorney general and a three-time elected member of provincial parliament led to an intense level of attention on the case.

Bryant has stepped down from his position in the provincial government to head Invest Toronto, an economic development agency for the city.

Before that, he was among the highest profile members of Ontario's government, holding the positions of aboriginal affairs minister and minister of economic development during his 10 years at Queen's Park.

Meanwhile, PM's former spokesperson's take on this?  Via Twitter:

Crown drops charges against Michael Bryant. Will media cover this like Jaffer's dropped charges? Doubt it.

 

[dapaterson]

All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.


Réné, meet Michael.  Michael, Réné.


Everyone surprised that someone well-connected got his friends in the legal community to decide that there was no prospect of conviction raise your hands.  We need to keep prosecutors busy with important cases, like folks who want the head of the OPP to enforce the law...

 

[GAP]

While everyone's comments regarding close friends in high places may be justified, there is also the other possibility that the defense would have made hash of the prosecutor's case.

The bicyclist apparently had a bit of a history of being confrontational, and had been in an argument that evening as well as he had been drinking (his blood alcohol was twice the legal limit). Given any one of those issues, the defense was going have a good chance of getting Bryant off...

The Crown said "it did not have any reasonable prospect of conviction". Not that he was innocent, but they couldn't guarantee a conviction.

 

[SeanNewman]

GAP,

Agreed with the full context of the article when looking at both sides.

Yes it looks sketchy when you look at it from the side of "Car vs Bike", but at the same time if a guy in a car were just driving along and some nut job started clinging to the side of the car I would find it hard to blame the guy in the car for trying to shake him.  The driver's mind set probably being that if he stops the car the other guy who is crazy enough to cling to your car is probably going to smash the window to get at you and try to kill you.

I'm not saying that the above is what happened and the driver of the car didn't do anything wrong, but as you pointed out if the guy on the bike had a bad record of being on the sauce and getting violent then who is to say they'd win.

 

[dapaterson]

Let's read that bastion of Conservatism, the Toronto Star.

When Bryant hit his brakes, the vehicle stalled. Peck said Bryant was trying to get away and attempted to get his car started when it stalled again, causing it to lurch forward. That was when “Mr. Bryant’s vehicle came close to or in contact with the rear wheel of Mr. Sheppard’s bike,” Peck said.

“At this point, Mr. Bryant describes himself as being in a state of panic. He says that Mr. Sheppard was becoming enraged.”

When Bryant got the car re-started, it accelerated into Sheppard causing him to land on the hood. Bryant hit the brakes and the cyclist fell, but stood up and did not appear at that point to be seriously injured.

So, the undisputed facts state that Mr Bryant, in a panic, accelerated his car into Mr Sheppard and hit him prior to the point where Mr Sheppard grabbed hold of the vehicle and allegedly tried to attack Mr Bryant.

Is driving your car into someone, regardless of your mental state, a crime?  I look forward to everyone now accused of reckless or dangerous driving introducing the "Bryant Defence" - "I was in a state of panic, so I'm not now accountable for my actions".

Or does that excuse only hold when you're a former provincial minister and member of the Bar?  With those pesky laws still applying to the great unwashed masses



Well, if nothing else, this incident has revealed that Mr Bryant is unfit for any office where he may have to make decisions under conditions of stress or duress.


(Edit: Correcting a typo)

 

[Danjanou]

Well, if nothing else, this incident has revealed that Mr Bryant is unfit for any office where he may have to make decisions under conditions of stress or duress.

Not really. In fact in Toronto one could argue the exact opposite :

 

[ArmyRick]

dapaterson,

Give it a rest.

Seriously. Enough of this crap about Bryant using his "power and wealth" to get off.

If it was your butt in his position you would be screaming self defence just like Bryant.

Enough.

 

[1feral1]

Many years ago I remember seeing a bumper sticker on the back of a car. It said 'Crime would pay if the government ran it'.

It looks like this is correct in Ontario.

Multiple eye witnesses? What about secuirty cam evidence?

I smell a rat, but too late now. Another politician squeaks out of another tight spot. Nothing new here, move along.

OWDU

 

[observor 69]

Go to

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/05/25/bryant-sheppard-charges943.html#

and click on "Charges dropped against former AG."

Sarcasm on "Ya I know it's a CBC link therefore it's totally garbage." Sarcasm off

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Give it a rest folks.........there are lots who get off charges with much more evidence than this.

Take a day off and go to your local courthouse and sit for a day, I guarantee you will never think the same again about what justice is.

 

[ArmyRick]

Bryant was reacting as any normal human being would be attacked by a deranged drunk road raged cyclist. Mr Sheppard was far from an innocent harmless cyclyst

Wake up people and pull your heads out of your rear.

 

[Danjanou]

Read most of the daily paper(s) take on this on the way to work this morning. Just looking at the facts, and nothing else it does seem like  the correct call made by the parachuted in Vancouver lawyer. There just seemed no point in wasting the Governments time and money pushing this through to a foregone conclusion.

That said and done perception is everything and the optics on this one blow for two separate reasons. One Bryant is/was a "Golden Boy" and no matter how one looks at it, some are going to see this as smacking of elitism, special privilege and double standards.

Equally important is Mr. Sheppard is a bike courier, and the more militant elements of the that subset of Toronto Society and their faithful allies will continue to view this through their particular rose coloured glasses  and see this as yet another attack by the car driving establishment on one of their own. Ghandi this guy wasn't, but hell some of them would deify Paul Bernardo if he owned a 10 speed.

Sometimes you have to love living in the centre of the known universe.  :

 

[dapaterson]

My problems with this:

(1)  Mr Bryant rammed Mr Sheppard's bike - negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle - which set this unfortunate chain of events in motion.  At the very least, that charge was borne out by the facts - and it is a lesser and included charge, and thus the case should have proceeded.

(2)  A criminal lawyer who generally works for defendants was called in to be the prosecutor.  Call in a Crown from another province, but not a defence lawyer, if you want to avoid the appearance of conflict (and, given he's a former AG, the potential for conflict or appearance thereof with Mr Bryant was a real concern).  (I`d note that Mr Peck, QC, has in the past displayed a similar reluctance to proceed)

 

[gcclarke]

Equally important is Mr. Sheppard is a bike courier, and the more militant elements of the that subset of Toronto Society and their faithful allies will continue to view this through their particular rose coloured glasses  and see this as yet another attack by the car driving establishment on one of their own. Ghandi this guy wasn't, but hell some of them would deify Paul Bernardo if he owned a fixie.

Fixed that for you.

 

[SeanNewman]

I will admit that it does seem strange that all charges were dropped, even the one for the bump.

If the cyclist had a habit of road rage himself then I can see the murder one not being followed through, but one would think that the dangerous driving one could still hold.

Again though, obviously we on this board as not as "in the know" as the prosecutor is, so it's all speculation.  Looking at the video, it may have been decided that the bike swerved directly in front of the car's path which would have been enough doubt that even that one was a losing cause.