[VIDEOs] – The Lyle Howe Legal Odyssey
Former Halifax lawyer Lyle Howe says he was investigated by the Nova Scotia Barrister’s Society in 2011 by way of a practice review. Then, in 2014 Howe was convicted of sexual assault before then having that conviction overturned. Howe was initially suspended following the criminal conviction but went back to practicing law once the conviction was overturned. It was then, Howe says, that the Society laid their own set of serious charges against him and Howe was suspended a second time. Howe attempted to sue the society over that decision, but his lawsuit was initially dismissed. Recently, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned that decision, meaning Howe can proceed with his lawsuit. Howe said that the legal professionals who he said acted against him in bad faith will now be compelled to testify under oath by way of the discovery process in his lawsuit. In an interview with Community Update, Howe says it was the Society’s intention to collect as much evidence as they could to use it against him. Howe, who is Black, says he has evidence and transcripts that demonstrate he was singled out and targeted by former members of the Nova Scotia Barrister’s Society and by current members of the legal community because of his race. When giving examples, Howe says he was accused of double booking himself in court, a something he says is a common and accepted practice among all lawyers in the local legal community. “I’m literally the only person that’s been charged with it in Nova Scotia.” Speaking with Community Update, Howe also talked about the nature of systemic racism in the legal and justice system in Nova Scotia, he names specific names of people he’s dealt with who, through his experience, he feels are guilty of upholding the system of racism and white supremacy, and he talked about some things he feels need to happen to build on improvements he feels are in fact taking place.
Halifax appoints first Black police chief: Don MacLean
Halifax Regional Council approved the recommendation by the Board of Police Commissioners to appoint Don MacLean as the Acting Chief of Police. MacLean, who is currently Deputy Chief of Operations, assumes the position on Sept. 16 following the retirement of Chief Dan Kinsella on Sept. 15.
Black man threatened at gunpoint by Halifax cop in 2021 sues HRM
A Black man threatened at gunpoint by police on video in 2021 is suing the municipality, alleging the officer discriminated upon him, assaulted him, and violated his Charter rights.
Full article available @: Halifax Examiner (HalifaxExaminer.ca)
Halifax constable referred to restorative justice for 2020 assault on Black teen [VIDEO]
Const. Mark Pierce, the Halifax Regional Police officer charged with assaulting a 15-year-old Black boy outside of a mall in Bedford in February 2020, came face to face last week with the youth and his parents for the first time since the night of the incident.
Demario Chambers, now 19 years old, said he received a concussion, cuts, bruises, and badly hurt finger at the hands of Pierce and his partner Const. Craig Trudel when they arrested him.
They released Chambers without charges to his parents later that night.
[VIDEO] – SIRT’s first director of African descent welcomes questions from Black community
One of the longest-tenured Black senior crown prosecutors in Nova Scotia’s history recently appointed as director of Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) is encouraging and welcoming questions from the Black community about cases in his new role.
Alonzo Wright becomes the fourth director of SIRT since its 2012 launch. He’s SIRT’s first director of African descent.
‘This town is very racist’: African student in Wolfville speaks out about experience with RCMP, mayor after filing complaint about an assault
Sara Micheal is speaking out about her experience with King’s District RCMP and Wolfville Mayor Wendy Donovan following an incident that left her with visible injuries and during which she said she was verbally attacked with racial remarks.
In an interview with the Halifax Examiner, Micheal, who is a permanent resident from Eritrea, said she moved out of an apartment where she experienced a lot of racism from the landlord, and into a house with more than half a dozen other roommates she didn’t know.
Borden’s lawyer, board chair debate line of questioning around systemic racism during constable’s testimony
Andrew Gough, the lawyer representing the Halifax Regional Police, openly scoffed and laughed at the notion that the denial of systemic racism within the HRP by one of its officers would be evidence, in of itself, of systemic racism within the force.
Kirk Johnson recounts legal battle with Mike Sanford and Halifax Regional Police
“I said in order for me to help my peers, to help people that been racially profiled while driving, this has to be out there and everybody has to know about it,” Johnson recalled in Equity Watch webinar.