Martin: Edmonton Police Service crossed line trying to influence sentencing
Court of King’s Bench Justice Jody Fraser wrote some strong words of criticism recently about the Edmonton Police Service and comments it made about a case he was presiding over.
In his written decision sentencing admitted child killer Ashley Rattlesnake to an eight-year prison term for manslaughter, Fraser took direct aim at comments the service made through its legal counsel, Megan Hankewich.
Last September, the EPS sent a letter to the Alberta justice minister and media, protesting what was a proposed plea deal for Rattlesnake to a reduced charge of manslaughter (she had been charged with second-degree murder) and a joint submission for an eight-year sentence. The Crown later said the eight-year deal wasn’t on the table and argued for a nine-year sentence.
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Threat to release details
In the letter, EPS said it would release details of the investigation to the public if the original deal went through.
“The Edmonton Police Service objected to the Crown’s exercise of its discretion to resolve this matter through a guilty plea to manslaughter,” Fraser said in his sentencing........
