Mo Amir, host of the podcast This is VANCOLOUR, and Kyla Lee, a Vancouver criminal lawyer for Acumen Law Corporation, weigh in on B.C. politicians trying to make their nicknames for opponents stick, a Vancouver councillor’s attempt to make intersections safer with speed and red-light cameras — and how they handle handing out candy on Halloween.
“In some jurisdictions they’re using intersection cameras to issue distracted driving tickets by using really high-powered lenses to look through the windows of motor vehicles – we probably won’t ever see that in British Columbia because of the privacy concerns.”
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“Intersection cameras can’t identify who was driving the vehicle and the result of that is that the government has made this compromise where if we’re going to be policed by robot, we’re not going to get the tickets added to our driving record and we’re not going to get penalty points which is what most people are concerned about.”
It’s often said that wisdom comes with experience, but sometimes, one can’t help but wonder: what were they thinking? From a disgraced prosecutor trying to bend reality to justify her baseless charges, to a beer worker’s unsavory moment going viral, all the way to a driver thinking a creepy clown could count as a passenger — here’s a round-up of people who either thought they could outsmart everyone else, or simply should’ve known better. Grab your popcorn, because these tales are sure to leave you shaking your head in disbelief.
Welcome to Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t! This week, lawyer Kyla Lee discusses Late Disclosure… Acumen Law Corporation lawyer Kyla Lee gives her take on a made-in-Canada court case each week and discusses why these cases should have been heard by Canada’s highest court: the Supreme Court of Canada.
London Drugs says they’re seeing more shoplifting and violence at their stores, and the province is clamping down on short-term rentals. These are just some of the topics we covered with our Soapbox Social panel today.
“There’s not a lot you can do. Unless you actually witness somebody commit the offence, you don’t have a lot of rights to stop somebody. The laws in Canada related to citizen’s arrest make it so have to be effectively very, very sure that what you’re doing is lawful before you take any steps to physically apprehend a person.”
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“There’s a lot of development applications for hotels in this city and there’s a lot of abandoned development in the city that could be turned into more hotel stock. So I think there is a long term strategy in relation to building more hotels but I do have a concern about tourism…”
“It feels a lot like blaming the victim considering the pedestrian was the only one who was following the law.”
“Although the video has generated a lot of controversy online… it’s generating a lot of buzz surrounding pedestrian safety. Even though the execution (of the video) was terrible.”
“As a driver, put your phone away… It’s not worth it for one text message.”
Richmond RCMP releases a video to help inform pedestrians and drivers about how everyone has roles to play to make our roadways safer.
“How many laws does the driver break in this video?”
“…the driver picks up the phone, clearly something you’re not supposed to do when you’re behind the wheel, picks up the phone , is looking at the phone and at that point almost hits the pedestrian in the crosswalk”
“Wow, this feels a lot like blaming the victim, like here’s this woman, fair enough she’s wearing all black and she’s got her headphones in, so she can’t hear what’s around her. But she’s in a marked crosswalk, and somebody who is using her cellphone while driving almost mows her down and they’re sort of pointing the finger at her for not protecting her own safety? That’s really bad.”
“…not a situation where, as a pedestrian, you’re expecting you’re going to be seen regardless of what you’re wearing in that situation”
“Oh absolutely, as a pedestrian you should take actions to make sure you keep yourself safe because I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect every driver is going to be driving perfectly”
Life often imitates art, but when it comes to the events of the past week, it seems our modern-day tales are giving the beloved comedy “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” a run for its money. First, we witnessed a train filled with European parliament members who ended up in the ‘most magical place on earth’ on their way to work. Meanwhile, in the sky, a flight bound for sunny Florida made a sudden return to Panama City for an “explosive blowout”. And finally, in the realm of automobiles, we hear of an ambitious Indiana woman who took a test drive in a new car from the dealership to her potential place of employment for the job interview. Hold onto your tickets, seatbelts, and steering wheels; we’re in for quite a ride!
Trains
On a journey intended for serious parliamentary affairs, members of the European parliament and their teams experienced an unexpected touch of enchantment. Departing from Brussels, Belgium, destined for Strasbourg, their train took an unplanned detour due to a signaling error. To their surprise, they found themselves amidst the whimsical ambiance of Disneyland Paris.
While some officials took the opportunity to jest about the unexpected visit, with references to Disney slogans and playful banter about being a “Mickey Mouse parliament”, the reality was that they were caught between the Art of Marvel and Main Street USA. France’s national railway company, SNCF Networks, explained that the detour was a result of a signalling error at the Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle TGV station.
Despite the unexpected magic-filled twist, the train was delayed by a mere 45 minutes and successfully reached its intended destination in Strasbourg. One can only wonder, was this a simple error, or the universe’s way of sprinkling a bit of fairy dust on an otherwise routine trip?
Planes
In an era where security concerns reign supreme, even the most mundane items can trigger a massive response. Case in point: A flight bound for Tampa, Florida, from Panama City was sent into a security frenzy after an adult diaper was mistakenly identified as a potential bomb. Just an hour into their journey, passengers aboard the Copa Airlines flight faced unexpected turbulence – not from the skies, but due to the discovery of this “suspicious” item in one of the airplane’s lavatories. T
he aircraft was promptly diverted back to its origin, Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport, where it was stationed on an isolated tarmac. The 144 passengers aboard were evacuated as an anti-explosives team swung into action.
However, the climax of this high-stakes drama turned out to be rather anticlimactic. After rigorous inspection, the so-called bomb was revealed to be nothing more than an adult diaper. This innocuous discovery led the National Police of Panama to comment about the mix-up on social media, confirming the diaper’s identity. Jose Castro, the leader of the airport’s security team, also commented on the incident, ensuring there was no risk to the passengers. After the lengthy delay, the flight resumed its journey, touching down in Tampa later in the evening. A timely reminder that sometimes, things are just not as they appear.
And Automobiles
In an unconventional approach to transportation, Kasia Shelton of Muncie, Indiana, allegedly swiped a 2013 Kia Optima from a local dealership to attend a job interview in Indianapolis—presumably at a strip club. In a surprising turn of events, after her appointment, she returned the car, parking it nearby the dealership. However, leaving the keys in the ignition led to another individual making off with the vehicle. The car was later found between Muncie and Indianapolis. Authorities linked Shelton to the initial theft through an online form she had filled out on the dealership’s website. When confronted, she was puzzled by the arrest, believing that returning the vehicle absolved her of wrongdoing. The story takes another twist with Shelton acknowledging she saw the car later on someone’s Snapchat. She now faces charges for auto theft and identity deception, potentially leading to jail time. Whether she secured the job remains a mystery.
That’s all for this week. Just like the famous movie, these stories all had surprise arcs and I hope provided you with a few laughs. No matter how you choose to get around, you can never be too sure what kind of twists and turns await you on your travels.
More and more Vancouver residents are struggling to find parking.
“…If you were to leave debris or something like an overturned bucket or a pylon on the roadway to try to reserve your spot, in theory you could be prosecuted, you could get a ticket for littering… so don’t do that because you could be exposed to liability…
Welcome to Cases That Should Have Gone to the Supreme Court of Canada, But Didn’t! This week, lawyer Kyla Lee discusses Pre-trial Custody Credit… Acumen Law Corporation lawyer Kyla Lee gives her take on a made-in-Canada court case each week and discusses why these cases should have been heard by Canada’s highest court: the Supreme Court of Canada.
“…the idea that somebody would be pretending to be a nurse and potentially putting a patient at risk is a terrifying thought… Impersonating a healthcare professional can lead to a number of charges, most significantly fraud. But if somebody was to get grossly injured or die as a result, then they could also face consequences and charges for criminal negligence.”
