Canada Free Press -- ARCHIVES

Because without America, there is no free world.

Return to Canada Free Press

Youth Crime in Canada

Attention Jack Layton, (NDP)

By Gary Hunt

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

My name is Gary Hunt. I am the father of Josh Hunt, who was murdered 2 blocks from our home in Edmonton on October 14, 2006. Josh was only 16 years old. His friend's brother stabbed him through the heart with a 10-inch knife.

I am looking into the future for whom I am going to be voting and supporting in the next election and was wondering if you can tell me if in you have a mandate or is there anything that you are proposing to do about Youth Crime in our country.

We have posted a web site located at (www.joshhunt.info) that will give you more information on what happened to our son and the support that we have through petitions to petition the government for changes from citizens all across Canada. Also you can read other stories listed on our guest book and comments button which clearly shows we have a very serious violent youth crime problem all across Canada. THE BOTTOM LINE:CANADIANS NO LONGER FEEL SAFE IN THEIR COUNTRY.

The current Youth Criminal Justice Act is failing we Canadians. Youth today know that they can do the crime without doing any time. When I was a teen the YOA was in effect and was much better for the safety of citizens in our country. Canada has gone backwards since the YCJA was implemented in 2003.

My associates and I have been doing a lot of long hours of research in to the Act and it is very clear that no matter what our government does things will only get worse unless judges in our country are elected instead of appointed by our government. Let me explain why! Judges have to be accountable for the safety of citizens in our country. We need a governing body made up of a number of professional people from all walks of life that monitor judges' codes of conduct NOT A LAW SOCIETY! How can lawyers discipline lawyers that's what a judge really is or was. Judges should be abiding by the Act as it is written NOT CASE LAW! There are never two cases the same. Each case is different and unique from one another. The only thing that is the same is that someone died! Therefore, case law is completely wrong and should not be used in criminal cases.

We have been informed that most judges that sit on the bench today were criminal defense lawyers before they became judges. If this is true this is wrong! As humans no matter what our job is we tend to go towards what we know and understand the best and if these judges were criminal defense lawyers before becoming judges then they will tend to go more to the defense side of the law. I have also been informed that there are brother and sister judges and other family members judges related to each other working in the same courthouse. If this is true then this is also wrong for conflict of interest reasons. Even in the private sector most companies won't hire family due to conflict of interest reasons. Judges are in a high trust position for all citizens' safety in Canada and at the end of the day they are human like all of us and they can also make mistakes.

I ensure you if our judges take a harder stand on punishing these violent criminals according to the Act then the word will get out that YOU DO THE CRIME YOU DO THE TIME! And the safety of our streets will come back so that Canadian citizens and visitors to this country can feel safe again. This will also help the good teens feel free to experience the positive side of being a teen like it was when we were teens when the YOA was in effect. GOOD TEENS NEED TO FEEL SAFE TOO!

Also in the current Youth Criminal Justice Act it states that if a youth from the age of 14 years or older commits an indictable offence he or she can be tried and sentenced as an adult. If this is correct then why aren't our judges using this for the safety of our streets? WE NEED TO GET THESE CRIMINALS OFF OUR STREETS!

The killer of my son just turned 18 last week. Even though he has a criminal record which includes 11 break and enters, 1 weapon offence, 1 robbery offence and now 1 count of second degree murder, two counts of assault with a weapon, and we have been informed that he was involved with a rape of a young girl. All this and he is out on our streets in Edmonton. He doesn't even have to show up for court. We go to court and he goes to work like nothing happened. In December I was in Florida and Chicago and when speaking with some of my friends and their business partners they can not believe in Canada you can join the army at 17 and drive a car at 16 but when you murder someone at age 17 you're not responsible for your actions.

In the states you murder someone no matter what age you are! You stay in jail off the streets until the trial is over! The killer of my son it out on our streets for the next 18 months before he even has to go to court and then he will most likely get a slap on the wrist so he can re-offend again and affect other families' life for life! The Youth Criminal Justice Act and the way our judges are appointed and do things are not just wrong THEY ARE COMPLETLEY WRONG! We are scared that if our government does not make this a top priority WHICH IT SHOULD FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL CITIZENS IN OUR COUNTRY, then there will be a growing number of murders every day coast to coast in Canada.

We are also scared that people will start taking the law into their own hands. This is a very urgent matter that needs immediate attention by our government for positive change and quickly! Before it's much too late! (Like it is for us) I have sent a number of letters to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, both the provincial justice minister (Alberta) and the federal justice minister as well as, Premier Ed Stelmach and to date I have not heard back from anyone other that Premier Ed Stelmach which states safety of all Albertans is one of his governments priorities.

I look forward in hearing back from you with any suggestions or help that you might be able to provide along with your mandate on these issues we are faced with today. My e-mail address is gary.global@shaw.ca. Thank you!

Regards,


Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement