Buying Justice

For any other individual charged with impaired driving causing death, operating a motor vehicle over the legal limit causing death and dangerous driving causing death in connection with a 2011 crash that killed a man by the name of Brian Casey -- driving his own truck in the direction opposite to the accused, when she, heavily inebriated, crossed into his incoming lane, striking his vehicle -- the trial would have been long over and justice dispensed with.

But this is a trial where high-paid lawyers insist that their client's Charter rights have been breached. This has happened before; a former prime minister's former wife was also charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, though she had managed not to strike another vehicle, much less take the life of an innocent person, while she was incapacitated.

Margaret Trudeau leaves the Ottawa courthouse following an appearance on a charge of driving while over the legal limit, October 2005. (CP Photo/Tom Hanson)

A social elite, she too was able to pay the freight for a high-priced lawyer who claimed her Charter rights had been breached and there was, consequently, no penalty for her. Unless she might have suffered a slight twinge of self-reproach, although that is not likely, since she invoked sympathy claiming herself to be a misunderstood victim of a mental illness, thus releasing her from the responsibility of making poor choices.

That was back in 2004, when Margaret Trudeau had been charged. And oddly enough, the lawyer who served her interests at the time managed, quite expertly to have her breathalizer test results thrown own, claiming her Charter rights had been violated by police, and Ontario Court Justice Lise Maisonneuve agreed in November 2005, acquitting Ms. Trudeau after excluding breathalyzer evidence.

Coincidentally, her lawyer successfully guided the presiding judge to the opinion that her right to select her lawyer was infringed upon when police informed her no one answered the call made to the lawyer of her choice, whereupon police called two other lawyers that Ms. Trudeau picked from a list provided by police to assist those whom they arrest in such circumstances.

And it is beyond peculiar that Ms. Trudeau's then-lawyer is now advising the current accused.

That lawyer is using the very same hugely successful tactics used then to absolve Ms. Trudeau of responsibility in a legal court of law, for making a poor decision about drinking and driving, for his current client, Pembroke dentist Christy Natsis, a woman able due to healthy pecuniary circumstances, to afford the freight of his substantial fee and that of his colleagues, in their three-man defence team.

Michael Edelson, Vince Clifford and Solomon Friedman representing for the accused have nicely managed to call into question the honesty and integrity of witnesses, all of whom declared their belief under testimony that given the circumstances and the condition of the accused which they had first-hand witness to, that she was inebriated beyond self-control.

The verity of the testimony of the arresting officer was called into question. He was browbeaten, exposed to intimidation and charges of malfeasance, as though he were the one being charged with a criminal offence, not the client of Mr. Edelson.

 Photos from the crash site entered as exhibits in Natsis trial. Prominent Pembroke dentist Dr. Christy Natsis is on trial for dangerous and drunk driving causing death. Bryan Casey, 50, was killed in a head-on crash near Arnprior on March 31, 2011.   Photograph by: Handout photo , Crown exhibit

Breathalyzer tests demonstrating just how egregiously she was alcohol-impaired were also removed from evidence. And this was done because Mr. Edelson argued that her choice and opportunity for legal defence were impaired by the arresting officer.

And now, finally, after having queried and slighted the professional evidence given by an expert in interpreting data relating to driver performance in attempting to avert a collision taken from Ms. Natsis's vehicle's black box, Mr. Edelson has turned to casting suspicion on the professionalism and expert status of OPP accident investigators.

The drunk driving trial of Pembroke dentist Dr. Christy Natsis finally resumes this week.   Photograph by: Jean Levac , Ottawa Citizen

Lawyers for the defence of a woman whose declaration of innocence and defiance of personal responsibility for her criminal act of choosing to drive drunk, bashing into another parked vehicle as she exited the establishment where she had been drinking as she was pulling away, even before she approached the highway, are calling for a stay which would essentially put an end to the trial and release Ms. Natsis from responsibility and justice.