| Bathhouse trial
A provincial court judge will decide in June whether Calgary police had reasonable grounds to launch an undercover investigation and then raid a gay bathhouse in the city in 2002.
Four men were charged with being keepers of a common bawdyhouse after police raided Goliath’s in December, 2002. Their trial began on April 1 and was in the form of a voir dire (a trial within a trial) to determine whether the evidence police obtained from their undercover investigation and subsequent raid should be admissible.
Defence lawyer John Bascom argued on April 8 that his clients’ constitutional rights were violated because police didn’t have reasonable suspicion that criminal activity was occurring in the bathhouse. Therefore, he argued, all the evidence police collected in the undercover operation and raid was illegally obtained. Provincial court judge Terence Semenuk will make his ruling on the admissibility of the evidence on June 2 at 2 p.m.
If the evidence is ruled admissible Crown prosecutor David Torske said he will argue that the sexual activity police observed in the bathhouse during their undercover investigation "would run afoul of community standards of tolerance."
Police began an undercover investigation after a couple of anonymous callers reported prostitution and group sex was occurring at the bathhouse. However, after several undercover operations where police posed as gay customers, no evidence of either was found, but masturbation was observed. If the trial proceeds, the Crown will have to prove that the activity observed was an "indecent act."
A-Channel sold
Toronto-based CHUM Ltd. has bought Craig Media, the owner of A-Channel TV stations in Calgary and Edmonton. However, CHUM has promised that A-Channel will continue to air local programming.
CHUM owns 30 radio stations, eight local television stations and 18 specialty channels in Canada, including CityTV and MuchMusic. CHUM still has to get approval from the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission before the deal will be complete.
The CRTC rejected CHUM’s application to open TV stations in Calgary and Edmonton in February.
Iraq peace vigil
Calgary human rights organization Canada, Democracy and International Law is holding a peace vigil for the people of Iraq on April 15 at 3:30 p.m. in front of the U.S. consulate.
At the vigil, Dr. David Swann, who recently returned from a trip to Iraq, will speak about his experiences.
CANDIL is holding the peace rally to protest against the ongoing American occupation of the country and the killing of civilians.
For more information call Julie Hrdlicka at 270-9669 or visit at CANDIL’s website at www.candil.ca. |
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