Well today is a big day...it is my wedding anniversary.

B and I got married 2 years ago today at 1:00 pm. We are actually planning on going out today as we didn't get to last year as I was so sick. I had been hoping that this year would be better, at least I am not sick and in the ER this year. I am still dealing with plenty of pain, due to the shoulder injury.

We had a pretty good year this year, once the hospital visits were over in September. We went to Niagara Falls for a family wedding, one of B's nieces. Christmas was hectic as usual and B moved to his permanent office on the south side. This was the first year that C didn't come to visit on any of the holidays. Hmmm, maybe he could come for Christmas this year, if he would like. I know JR would love it! He really does misses C.

It has been fairly quiet around here, except the roofers are here now, which means plenty of noise...lol. We are having the roof done, the windows replaced and siding. So hopefully it will be alot warmer this winter. I hate the cold! Although what did I expect, it is Central Alberta afterall, known for the minus 40 Celsius wind chills.

So here is to another wonderful year together, B. I love you.

Cora

Judge's actions left door open for appeal

Lots of people make mistakes at work, but judges are rarely subjected to disciplinary measures no matter what the cost of their errors

By Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun
June 29, 2009

We all make mistakes; we're only human. But we expect more of some people in our society -- judges, for one.

The bar must be set higher for them since the consequences of their decisions have more serious effects on people's lives and the public purse than most others.

And what we especially don't expect is that they will make such glaring errors that a serial killer's conviction could be overturned or that their decision is so off-base that both the Crown and defence appeal.

But that's what B.C. Supreme Court Justice James Williams did. Because of his errors, Robert "Willie" Pickton will get a hearing in the Supreme Court of Canada and a chance for a retrial.

This is a sorry chapter in Canada's biggest mass murder trial -- a grisly, sordid case.

One of three Court of Appeal justices who reviewed the case said Williams' mistake in his charge to the jury was inexcusable. Judge Ian Donald said Williams failed to properly instruct jurors on the law of aiding and abetting a crime and how it might apply in this case.

"This was an error of law," Donald wrote in his dissenting opinion. "The failure to instruct created a miscarriage of justice."

That's not the only mistake Williams made. All three appellate court judges said Williams was wrong to sever six of the 26 cases for trial.

That decision's legacy is that 20 families of murdered women may never get the justice they seek unless the Supreme Court orders a retrial.

Throughout the trial, the judge reportedly did a number of unusual things. After week 23, a story in The Globe and Mail noted Williams' "unusual state-of-the-nation address" to the jury when -- among other things -- he gave them a two-week vacation during the 11 months of hearings.

Another unprecedented decision was to have his law clerk, robed and sitting close by him in court. It apparently didn't help any.

Although this was one of the biggest trials in Canadian history, Williams was a relative rookie with only three years experience on the bench.

He took over the Pickton case a few days into the pre-trial hearings after the other judge suddenly found he had a scheduling conflict.

However, he'd had big-trial experience from the other side. He was a prosecutor in the case of Reena Virk, a Victoria teen who was beaten and killed by two other teens. He was defence lawyer for hockey star Marty McSorley, who was charged with the on-ice assault on former Canucks player Donald Brashear.

Judges are not oracles, as Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin of the Supreme Court of Canada has said. Instead, they are men and women with legal training, appointed and well-paid to sit in judgment until they are 75 years old.

But unlike most people who mess up at work, they are rarely subject to disciplinary measures.

"In fairness, the conduct of a judge should not be measured in the context of a complaint arising out of a single proceeding, but rather against a wider test of performance."

That's what former B.C. Court of Appeal chief justice Allan McEachern said in a speech given while he was chairman of the Canadian Judicial Council.

He noted the difficulties of disciplining judges. Appointed either by the provincial or federal government, they can only be removed by the government.

Still McEachern argued against anything short of removal or anything more severe than review by judicial councils, which are limited (in his words) to expressing disapproval in words that range from "unfortunate," "unwise," "inappropriate," or "in some very few cases, something stronger."

Anything in between -- suspensions or sanctions -- would undermine the authority of the court and judge's independence, he said.

But from the beginning, almost everything about the Pickton case has undermined people's faith in the judicial system.

The victims were women who had no faith in the protection of police or courts. Survival sex workers and drug addicts rarely get a fair hearing from them.

The families can't help but distrust a system so callous that it took years before anyone would even take their reports of missing mothers, daughters and sisters.

That fact that Williams chose to hear only six of 26 cases only further damaged what little trust some had that justice might ever be done.

I'm sure Justice Williams is sorry for his mistake. And maybe I can even accept that public humiliation is as good a punishment as any.

But it's absurd to think that disciplining him-- even removing him from the bench -- would make things worse.

dbramham@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Jessie Foster, Victim of Human Trafficking, Still Missing

Jessie Foster, Victim of Human Trafficking, Still Missing
By dwilliamson
http://hubpages.com/hub/Jessie-Foster--Victim-of-Human-Trafficking--Still-Missing

I am writing this hub in hopes to help a mother find her missing child. My hope is that everyone will share this hub with everyone they know so that we can find Jessie. The more people hear about her story and see her photographs, the better the chance of finding her.

Jessie Foster, Victim of Human Trafficking, Still Missing

1. What is Jessie's full name, age, birthdate and description?

FULL NAME: Jessica (Jessie) Edith Louise Foster
AGE (when missing): 21 ~ AGE (current): 25
BIRTHDATE: May 27, 1984

DESCRIPTION
RACE: Caucasian
HAIR COLOUR: Blonde (may be dyed brown or other colour)
EYE COLOUR: Hazel
HEIGHT: 5’6” – 5’7”
WEIGHT: 110 – 120 lbs

2. How long has Jessie been missing now?

Jessie has been missing since March 29, 2006, but officially is listed as missing between March 29 and April 9, 2006. The reason for this is because we know the last time anyone we know of talked to Jessie was when her and her sister Crystal talked on the phone on March 29, ending the call with ‘talk to you tomorrow’, but that never happened, we also know that she was not around after that because she would have called us, or called someone – BUT, because the police did not take the report until April 9 (after we had confirmed that Jessie was not at her stepsister’s wedding in Mexico with her dad and stepmom – which she was not), so that is the date that they finally went to the house at 1009 Cornerstone Place, North Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 89031, where she was living with her fiance Peter Todd for the past 10 months and found nothing out of order (obviously).

3. Can you explain the circumstances of Jessie's disappearance?

THIS IS THAT LETTER I SENT TO CRIMINAL PROFILER PAT BROWN…IT HAS THE ENTIRE CIRCUMSTANCE NOTED – Pat, thank you so much for your time. My daughter JESSICA EDITH LOUISE FOSTER originally met Donald Vaz in Calgary, Alberta Canada when she was just out of high school. Her boyfriend at the time, Jon was a Hip-Hop DJ and she would go with him when he did his ‘gigs’. Jon is the person who told us this about Donald.

When I was having a bit of trouble with my youngest daughter in early 2005, Jessie, who was living in Calgary, packed up her apartment and put everything into storage and came home to Kamloops, British Columbia to ‘help me get Jennee back on track’. Which we did, within a very short time. While Jessie was here, she was working 2 jobs – she was a waitress at a Boston Pizza and also worked at Rivershore Golf Course.

Shortly after she was home, Jessie started getting phone calls from Donald – he wanted her to go on a trip with him, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to visit his mother. We found out later his mother lives in Canada. I was leery about this offer, as any mother would…and I asked Jessie if he wanted ‘something’ in return. She assured me he did not. Jessie went on the trip, came back with lots of fun pictures and great stories.

Then a couple of weeks later Donald Vaz called again and asked Jessie to go on another ‘trip’ with him. This time to Manhattan, New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey. I really questioned his motives this time – saying flat out that a man would not take a beautiful woman on 2 ‘all expenses paid’ trips and not want or expect something in return. She told me that Donald was not like that and she was going to be okay. I was not totally convinced, but I took that to mean I was being a mom and that there would be no answer that would convince me she would be fine. So she went.

Jessie called me, her dad and one of her sisters from the lobby of the hotel they stayed at in Manhattan telling us all almost the same story, with a little more told to her sister than to me and a little more to her dad than her sister. This is what the story was: DONALD LOST HIS MONEY GAMBLING AT A CASINO AND WANTED JESSIE TO PROSTITE HERSELF TO GET THEM ENOUGH MONEY TO GO HOME. We do not know the exact extent to this, but ultimately she told us that everything was ok and she would be home the next day.

But that never happened. The next day Jessie called me to say that instead of flying home directly – her first plan was that she would fly from New York to Ontario, Canada and then west back to Kamloops. She was now flying to Las Vegas, Nevada then north to Kamloops, BC. This was May 13, 2005. She called when she got there and said she was going to stay until her 21st birthday, May 27, only 2 weeks away. I was not happy with this at all, but she was not a child…she was my child, but she was an adult.

The only thing I told her, that I demanded actually – was I needed a contact number from SOMEONE in Las Vegas, because, sadly, I said to her, ‘if something happened to you, if you went missing, who would I call?’ – obviously never expecting that 10 months later she would go missing. She gave me the number to her friend, Yvonne Hubrechtsen…I have no idea where she met her or how she knew her, but she gave me her number and told me her nickname was Angel.

Jessie called someone every day – if not me, it was one of her sisters or her dad & stepmom or one of her many friends. She phoned, text-messaged, emailed and left voice-messages when no one answered. EVERYDAY someone heard from Jessie. After finding out all we know, I realize that several things were done – Jessie’s constant contact with us was so we knew something was wrong when she stopped it – and it worked. We knew within the first day and for sure the second day we never got a hold of Jessie when we called and she never returned our calls. We never knew what was happening to her in Las Vegas, but she did.

It turned out that Yvonne’s boyfriend, Richard Wolcott was also a pimp and had a friend named Peter Todd, also a pimp and they ‘introduced’ Jessie to Peter. Before we knew it, Jessie was in love with him and had moved into his ½ million dollar home at 1009 Cornerstone Place, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89031 (after looking it up, this address was originally owned by Sierra 2598, Inc – Sierra is the prostitute name of Peter Todd’s estranged wife, Trish Van Arsdale – then the property was sold to Trish and then Peter’s name was put it – after than, Trish’s name came off it and Peter Todd, a non-American citizen with no ‘legal’ source of income [this was a quote from the Timothy Bedwell, spokesman for the North Las Vegas Police Department] – so ultimately, Peter Todd owns a house without having a job).

What we never knew and found out after hiring a private investigator, was that Jessie had been beaten so badly she had to be hospitalized (know this about Jessie – she never once got into trouble as a child or teenager, she never smoked cigarettes, pot or did drugs, she never came home drunk or had friends who got into trouble with their parents or the police – when anything happened to Jessie, she cried and ran to me, her mommy…for example, when she was 15, she had a seizure brought on by the heat of a tanning booth she was in, and woke up to her head banging up and down on the top and bottom of the booth…obviously it scared the crap out of her…she came home, and when she came in the door I looked at her and said ‘Jessie what it wrong’, she ran to me, sat on my knee and told me, crying her eyes out it scared her so much [FYI: we had her tested prior to that time, and did not have epilepsy or ever had another seizure again…that was the 3rd in about 8 years].

Jessie is a family girl and is very, very close to me and her sisters [Crystal-27 in December; Jessie was 25 in May; Katie will be 23 in December & mother of my grandson Jacobus almost 6 months old; and Jennee was 19 in February, mother of my granddaughter Maddison almost 1 ½ years old and she is pregnant, due in December].

Jessie is also a VERY popular girl and has LOTS of friends – from kindergarten to grade 11, she went to school with the same kids, we have lived in this house since June 27, 1987 – my kids all went to my old elementary and high school and we live 1 ½ blocks from the house I grew up in, my mother passed away in on March 22, 1998 and my dad still lives in today. One month into grade 11, Jessie very badly wanted to go live with her dad & stepmom in Calgary. Her reason was that several of her friends she hung around with graduated and were not in school with her that year, plus the fact that she had never as a child lived with her dad (we separated when Jessie was 1 ½ months old and Crystal was 1 ½ years old – we have always had a good relationship and parented the girls together, from different cities, and provinces), and she told me this – ‘Mom, if I do not like it in Calgary, I can come home and graduate with the kids I went to school with forever, but if I like it, I will stay there and graduate with my new friends’. She made a good point about growing up and would never live with her dad while in school if she did not do it then. Both Dwight & Tracy and Jim & I agree and she moved.

There was a very traumatic thing that happened the day she moved. Jessie’s bestfriend, Shauna Heys and 2 other girls drove to a city about 4 hours away early the day before – Jessie actually would have gone, if she was not getting on the Greyhound Bus at 7:00am the next morning. I had just got back from dropping her off and my phone rang…it was very early and I was surprised. It was one of Jessie’s friend’s parents asking me if Jessie was home. I said no, she was on the bus moving to Calgary to live with her dad…she asked me ‘if I was sure’. I said of course, I just dropped her off myself. She told me there was a terrible accident at 4am and one of the girls who went with Shauna was in very serious condition in the hospital. It turned out to be Sabrina…a beautiful 16-year-old girl who was an actress who just got a job with a new Canadian series that was to begin taping…she died. It was terrible. If Jessie had of gone, she would have been sitting ‘shotgun’ in Shauna’s car – it was her permanent spot – it was where Sabrina was sitting when the accident happened.

I called Jessie’s sister and dad in Calgary and when they picked her up, they told her about Sabrina and their dad drove them both straight to the airport and they were back in Kamloops that evening. Jessie and Crystal went back to Calgary after the funeral. I never got to talk to Jessie face-to-face right after this – Sabrina was a very good friend of hers, and over the phone and by the next time she came home for a visit, time had passed. I really do not know way deep down how badly this affected her – and I know it affected her. We did talk a lot, but not her crying in my arms, like a mom does for her girl. I feel terrible about this.

Jessie got hit by a car in Calgary on her way to school one day. She was crossing on a walk sign and a car turned right on a red light, striking her and causing damage to her leg. Jessie never played in sports again and that was hard for her. When Jessie turned 19 she got a large insurance settlement from this accident. When Jessie went to the USA she still had over $10,000 in the bank – she as planning on going to college with it. Some people told me she was ‘attracted to the money of Vegas’, implying she ‘chose’ to go there and ‘chose’ to work at a escort agency, even though the owner of this service told me that ‘Jessie did not belong there’ and she tried to convince her to ‘go home, little girl’, as this woman told me personally.

Wow, I have gone on and on, and the fact is, I do not even know what you need from me…sorry. but I will also add this – Donald Vaz, mentioned earlier, and his brother have a history of arrests and convictions (mostly for the brother) for forcing young girls into prostitution, and beating a woman who was a prostitute…there are several newspaper articles on these cases. And Yvonne Hubrechtsen, also mentioned earlier, was arrested and the charges dropped for ‘transporting a minor across a state line for sexual purposes’ – AKA: human trafficking…IN MY OPINION.

Richard Wolcott and Peter Todd are both known pimps, as it Donald Vaz. Yvonne Hubrechtsen and Trish VanArsdale are both convicted prostitutes. Trish VanArsdale also threatened my daughter several times…this was told to me by Jessie, Peter Todd and Peter’s twin brother, who works for an elementary school, James Todd…that Jessie was scared of Trish and if she was home alone (James lived with Jessie and Peter), she NEVER answered the door for fear Trish was on the other side. ALSO, I have talked to someone who saw Jessie after Trish cut her hand with a knife and Jessie was bleeding and freaking out about her boyfriend’s crazy jealous ex-wife cutting her.

Jessie talked to her sister Crystal on March 28, 2006, making plans for them to meet here in Kamloops so they could drive together in Jessie’s car, still parked in my backyard since Jessie went to the USA; to Calgary for their stepsister’s wedding reception in April. They were to talk the next day and we have never heard from Jessie again, EVER. Shortly after Jessie’s got a letter from her insurance company in Calgary, which I opened – there was proof of insurance for 1 month for her car while she was to be home. She paid around $200 for it with her credit card. So, obviously she was planning on being here.

4. I have heard that you believe that Jessie is a victim of human trafficking, why do you think this?

I have always believed Jessie is a victim, but originally I do not know why I thought that…but I have. Then in 2007 when I got in contact with ATLAS (the Anti-Trafficking League Against Trafficking), the task force officer on Jessie’s case told me that the places that Jessie was taken in the USA (Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Manhattan, New York; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Las Vegas, Nevada) and all part of the hub in the USA for human trafficking.

5. Have you had any leads whatsoever in this case?

We have not got any leads that I would consider good enough, since we have not got Jessie back yet. Plus the police do not tell me anything that goes directly to them. However, the very last lead we got came to us from the POLARIS PROJECT. They got an anonymous tip and sent that to Crime Stoppers in Las Vegas, who then passed it on to the police on the case in North Las Vegas. Because this info was also sent to me, I also sent it to the RCMP’s Serious Crimes Division here in Kamloops who also have a file open on Jessie’s disappearance.

6. What agencies are you involved in with regards to Jessie's case?

Many. There is the NLVPD (North Las Vegas Police Department) ~ case #: 06-9384; RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) ~ case #: 2006-9538; NCIC (National Crime Identification Number) ~ M-535642358; Crime Stoppers Las Vegas; Crime Stoppers Kamloops (and Canada); ATLAS (Anti-Trafficking League Against Trafficking) ~ Las Vegas, NV; several other human trafficking task forces in the USA and Canada; Polaris Project ~ Washington, DC USA (and worldwide); Laster Global Consulting ~ Dottie Laster; Las Vegas Detectives ~ Mike Kirkman (Private Detective); Missing Persons Organizations worldwide (there are so many online, I have no way to mention them all) ~ NCMA (National Center for Missing Adults) ~ Project Jason ~ CUE Center ~ Peace4theMissing ~ Search for the Missing ~ and many, many others; 3 bounty hunters (2 in the USA and 1 in Canada) ~ Media everywhere (the Geraldo at Large show ~ April 24, 2006; the Maury Povich Show ~ October 11, 2006; the Montel Williams show ~ May 24, 2007 with an update show filmed here at our home July 8, 2008; America’s Most Wanted ~ November 15, 2008; ABC’s Nightline: Hunting Human’s on the Highway included Jessie’s picture in this show) ~ May 15, 2009; E! Entertainment show has filmed a documentary called Young, Beautiful & Vanished (not aired yet) ~ August 26, 2009; W-Five contacted me in May about an interview for a show ~ August 2009; many TV, Radio, Newspaper & Internet interviews; National Enquirer ~ August 2008; Oracle 20/20 ~ September 2008; CrimeWatch Canada Magazine ~ October 2008, January 2009 & May 2009; TruckerJob.com magazine ~ May 2009; and Jessie’s story was also told in a book by Canadian author Lisa Wojna called MISSING! The Disappeared, Lost or Abducted in Canada ~ August 2007. Like I said, there is just too much to mention everything and so I am very sorry to anyone not mentioned here.

7. You have done a lot of work in trying to find your daughter. Can you explain what you have done so that this may be of help to other parents in trying to find their children that are missing?

First off you have to contact the police…as obvious as it is, many people do not report their loved ones missing soon enough because they are only 99% sure something is wrong and they do not want to make anyone mad at them – who cares…they will get over it if they are not really missing. You need to get it reported ASAP. Also, get a website set up – it is the best way to get the information out to more people. There are so many missing person’s organizations available online, you need to contact as many as possible – for example, there are missing person organizations, there are missing person blogs, there are missing person forum and each of those are different from each other. There are also networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and there are online ‘newspapers’ such as NowPublic. There are many, many more but again, too many to name and there are more than I know of. Google is a great search engine (again, not the only one, but the one I use the most) and you can find sites on there. ALWAYS contact the media. They are usually short-lived when it comes to a missing person’s case, so get them involved right away and don’t stop contacting them because you have not heard back. My first email to the Montel Williams show was April 16, 2006 and on April 17, 2007 I was being interviewed by him on the stage of his show in New York City, NY. It took 1 year and 1 day, but it happened. Plus Jessie’s case was one of the most talked about shows, and was included in his last year of shows, which was entirely updates to shows that people wanted to hear more about. I also tried to get America’s Most Wanted to do Jessie’s case since she went missing and was not done until November 2008. So do not give up – sometimes it takes time.

8. How can anyone contact you if they have any information on the whereabouts of Jessie?

My phone number is: 250-374-6137, my email address is: glendene@telus.net or jessiesmom@jessiefoster.ca; I am on Facebook ~ Glendene Grant: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1684265972&ref=name and MissingJessie Foster: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643822787&ref=name and on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jessiesmomglendene.

9. Is there anything you want to say to Jessie in hopes that she gets the chance to read this hub?

There is so much I want to say to my Jessie-Bessie. I LOVE YOU BABY. I miss you and I will never stop looking for you until I find you – there are SO MANY PEOPLE helping us look for you, supporting our search and praying SO MANY PEOPLE PRAYING. Please know this. Do not be scared, stay safe so you will stay alive. You will be rescued one day and baby and you will come home, if you are in heaven, we will see each other again one day. I WILL FIND YOU JESSIE, OR DIE TRYING. The rest I will say when I find you.

10. Is there any advice you would give to anyone else that is searching for their children that have gone missing?

DO NOT GIVE UP. Never give up the search for your loved one. They deserve it and you deserve answers…even if the answers you get are not the ones you are hoping for, remember this – after over 3 years, I am ready for any news…I just want to know. If my daughter is not alive, she deserves to come home just as desparately as if she was alive. She would need to R.I.P. and that cannot be done if she knows we are still looking for her, still looking for answers – so never give up searching and be grateful for any that you get. Some people never get them. And once you get answers, you can start to get justice. That is also very important. If your loved one is not alive, you need to get justice on their behalf – that is most deserved for all innocent victims of crimes.

For more information, please go to the sites listed below or simply enter “Jessie Foster” into any search engine and you will be overwhelmed by so much information, even you won’t believe it – I know sometimes I don’t. For example, from Google – WEB: Results 1 - 10 of about 11,800 for "Jessie Foster" (0.21 seconds); IMAGES: Results 1 - 20 of about 3,450 for "Jessie Foster" (0.16 seconds); VIDEO: Results 1 - 10 of about 50 for "Jessie Foster" (0.15 seconds); GROUPS: Results 1 - 10 of about 33 for "Jessie Foster” (0.20 seconds).

JESSIE FOSTER IS PROBABLY MOST WELL-KNOWN, UNKNOWN MISSING PERSON IN THE WORLD. SHE IS NOT KNOWN BY ALL, BUT SHE IS KNOWN BY ALL MISSING PERSON’S ORGANIZATIONS AND THOSE WHO WORK WITH MISSING PEOPLE. We have not completed our job yet though, as Jessie is still not home where she belongs, please help us find Jessie.
===================================
REWARD: $50,000 to the person who helps us find Jessie
Check out our WEBSITE: http://jessiefoster.ca
Sign up at our FORUM: http://findjessie.com
Read my JESSIE BLOG: http://jessiefoster.blogspot.com
Read my JESSIE NEWS ARTICLES BLOG: http://jessiesnewsarticles.blogspot.com
Read my JESSIE NEWS LETTER BLOG: http://whitepicketfencenewsletter.blogspot.com
Follow me on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MissingJessie
See Jessie’s case on AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: http://www.amw.com/missing_persons/brief.cfm?id=60803
See how Jessie’s case was included on ABC NIGHTLINE: Hunting Humans on the Highways: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7582591
See (the very long, but extremely important) 2009 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2009/index.htm

Pickton is going to appeal to Canada's highest court...

So when is this going to end? I know he has the right to appeal but enough already!

Cora

Pickton to appeal pig farm murders to top court

By Keith Fraser, Vancouver ProvinceJune 26, 2009 12:47 PM

VANCOUVER — A day after he lost a bid to overturn his six murder convictions, serial killer Robert Pickton has decided to appeal his case to Canada's highest court.

Pickton's lawyer Gil McKinnon confirmed on Friday that his client will "soon" file an appeal to be heard in the Supreme Court of Canada.

The 59-year-old former pig farmer from the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam was given the automatic right of appeal because the B.C. Court of Appeal ruling upholding the convictions on Thursday was a split decision.

McKinnon said the appeal would be based on the dissenting opinion of B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Ian Donald. He did not say when the appeal might be heard in Ottawa.

In a lengthy ruling, the majority opinion of the B.C. Court of Appeal found that the evidence strongly suggested that Pickton was the killer or one of the killers on all of the murder counts and rejected his appeal arguments.

Donald admitted that the Crown had a "powerful case" but found that errors by the trial judge amounted to a miscarriage of justice and called for a new trial.

McKinnon represented Pickton at the nine-day Appeal Court hearing earlier this year.

In December 2007, a B.C. Supreme Court jury found Pickton guilty of six counts of second-degree murder after being found not guilty of six counts of first-degree murder. Pickton lured the women, all sex-trade workers from Vancouver's drug-plagued Downtown Eastside, to his pig farm and murdered them.

Pickton was initially charged with 26 counts of murder but the Crown has said it will not proceed with the remaining 20 counts if the murder convictions are upheld.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

Some More Flip-Flop Designs from Lion Brand

Pompom Flip Flops FREE PATTERN! Free Pattern Buy Materials Skill Level: Beginner Size: One Size Craft: Crochet Corrections: None Pattern #: 70341AD Customer Rating: (based on 1 review) Write your own review Materials: · 1 ball 760-133 Lion Cotton Yarn: Paprika · 1 ball 760-134 Lion Cotton Yarn: Avocado · 1 Lion Brand Crochet Hook - Size F-5 · 1 Large-Eyed Blunt Needles · 1 Pom pom Maker · Purchased flip flops

Flower Flip Flops FREE PATTERN! Free Pattern Buy Materials Skill Level: Easy Size: One Size Craft: Crochet Published: By Kids, For Kids Corrections: None Pattern #: 80367AD Be the first to review this! Materials: · 1 ball 830-145 New Cotton-Ease®: Plum · 1 ball 830-134 New Cotton-Ease®: Terracotta · 1 ball 830-194 New Cotton-Ease®: Lime · 1 Lion Brand Crochet Hook - Size G-6 · 1 Large-Eyed Blunt Needles · Pompom Maker Craft glue Purchased flip-flops

Posy Ruffle Flip Flops FREE PATTERN! Free Pattern Buy Materials Skill Level: Beginner Size: Craft: Crochet Corrections: None Pattern #: 70340AD Be the first to review this! Materials: · 1 ball 760-134 Lion Cotton Yarn: Avocado · 1 ball 760-180 Lion Cotton Yarn: Evergreen · 1 ball 760-145 Lion Cotton Yarn: Orchid · 1 ball 760-147 Lion Cotton Yarn: Purple · 1 Lion Brand Crochet Hook - Size K-10.5 · 1 Large-Eye Blunt Needles (Set of 6) · Purchased flip flops

Double Strand Ruffle Flip Flops FREE PATTERN! Free Pattern Buy Materials Skill Level: Beginner Size: Craft: Crochet Corrections: None Pattern #: 70342AD Customer Rating: (based on 3 reviews) Write your own review Materials: · 1 ball 760-134 Lion Cotton Yarn: Avocado · 1 ball 760-145 Lion Cotton Yarn: Orchid · 1 ball 760-159 Lion Cotton Yarn: Mustard · 1 Lion Brand Crochet Hook - Size K-10.5 · 1 Large-Eye Blunt Needles (Set of 6) · Purchased flip flops

Fantabulous Flip Flops FREE PATTERN! Free Pattern Buy Materials Skill Level: Beginner Size: One Size, Varies Craft: Crochet Corrections: None Pattern #: 60032 Customer Rating: (based on 2 reviews) Write your own review Materials: · 1 ball 910-113 Microspun Yarn: Cherry Red · 1 Lion Brand Crochet Hook - Size H-8 · 1 Large-Eye Blunt Needles (Set of 6) · Craft Glue Purchased Flip Flop Sandles

Fabulous Flip Flops FREE PATTERN! Free Pattern Buy Materials Skill Level: Beginner Size: One Size, Varies Craft: Crochet Corrections: None Pattern #: 60031 Be the first to review this! Materials: · 1 ball 910-147 Microspun Yarn: Purple · 1 ball 910-146 Microspun Yarn: Fuchsia · 1 ball 910-194 Microspun Yarn: Lime · 1 Lion Brand Crochet Hook - Size H-8 · 1 Large-Eye Blunt Needles (Set of 6) · Craft Glue Purchased Flip-Flops

No-Crochet Flip Flops FREE PATTERN!
		Free Pattern Buy Materials
	Skill Level: Beginner Size: Varies, Small, Medium, Large, 1X Craft: Other Published: By Kids, For Kids Corrections: None Pattern #: BK4K-0506007 Be the first to review this! Materials: · 1 ball 320-300 Fun Fur Yarn: Stripes: Cotton Candy

Simple Crochet Flip Flop Sandals FREE PATTERN!
		Free Pattern Buy Materials
	Skill Level: Beginner Size: Varies Craft: Crochet Corrections: None Pattern #: 40328 Customer Rating: (based on 3 reviews) Write your own review Materials: · 1 ball 320-124 Fun Fur Yarn: Champagne · 1 ball 320-153 Fun Fur Yarn: Black · 1 Lion Brand Crochet Hook - Size K-10.5 · 1 Large-Eye Blunt Needles (Set of 6) · 1 pair of colorful flip flops Alternate color choices shown: #191 Violet with 100 White (colors worked in sections for stripes) #207 Citrus

Simple Gifts-Lion Brand

Simple Gifts
By: Michelle Edwards

"'Tis the gift to be simple."
- Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett, Jr.

Handkerchiefs. Once they were given as gifts. I’m old enough to have been a recipient of several; all were slipped inside birthday cards sent to me by my Great Aunt Dot Skale. Other childhood presents have long been forgotten, but I still remember the handkerchiefs. Especially the pale yellow one, with shiny embroidery. My aunt took the time to explain that its fibers were made from a pineapple. Imagine that. I did and still do.

Simple Gifts.

In this period of economic hardship for so many, knitters can lead the way back to the time-honored respectability of simple gifts. June's a great month for starting with a wedding present that is totally utilitarian and will never go out of style: dishcloths. Two couples are on my list. Casting about the cotton yarns and pattern choices, I wondered about how I might make these wedding dishcloths special.

Other Yarn Possibilities LB Collection Cotton Bamboo - a cool blend of cotton and renewable bamboo fiber. Lion Organic Cotton - a 100% undyed organic cotton in 4 natural shades.

Several years ago, I wrote about the Bauhaus, the German art school (1919-1933) that strived to bring good design into our everyday life. Uniting form and function, their influence can still be found everywhere from art to architecture. In tribute to two of their most celebrated faculty, Josef and Anni Albers, I wrote two Bauhaus dishcloth/washcloth pattern; knit and crochet. Mindful of the Bauhaus ideal of combining design and materials to make a beautiful everyday product, I decided to try the pattern in a new yarn, Recycled Cotton, made from the excess fabric of T-shirts. I was counting on the yarn's softness, its texture, and lushness of its color to create a uniquely different stitch definition, drape and feel.

I was not disappointed. Working up quickly, 48 stitches on size 8 needle, 4.5 stitches to an inch, I soon could see that the yarn's character created enough visual interest that the stripes in the original pattern were not needed. In fact, after knitting several dishcloths, I switched to even less complicated patterns. First, using a basket weave stitch: 6 knit, 6 purls, 48 stitches. The elegance of each little square of purls inspired me to go even more basic, moving to the classic garter square pattern, my all time favorite dishcloth. For an extra finishing touch, with a contrasting color, I single crocheted a border. All three patterns are sustainable and quick knits, crucial if you need to to finish them in time. Mixing color and patterns gave them a visual richness.

Presentation is important in the giving of simple gifts. So I'm planning to wrap my sweet bundle of handmade usefulness in tissue paper with a hand-knit ribbon tied into a bow. Remembering back to my Great Aunt Dot's note about the pineapple handkerchief, my own beginnings on this journey, in my card to the newlyweds, I intend to add a few lines about the yarn, how the cotton was reclaimed and re-used. And of course, I won't forget our family's best wishes for the new couples. May they enjoy a long and happy life together. 'Tis a gift to be simple. Give from your hands and your heart.

Knit Ribbon Cast on 6 stitches in the yarn of your choice. Row 1: Knit Row 2: K1, p1 Repeat row 2 until desired length reached. Bind off.

Related links:

• Knit Bauhaus Dishcloth/Washcloth (shown in the picture above)
• Crochet Bauhaus Dishcloth/Washcloth
• Garter Square Washcloths (Michelle made her squares larger by increasing until she had 48 stitches)
  
• Download a Lion Brand card to print and give with your gifts

Flower of the Week

Crochet Irish Rose

Click for the Crochet Irish Rose

For those who like to wear flip-flops....

4 Fast & Easy Flip Flop Patterns Customize and colorize your flip flops!

Wrapped Flip Flops Crochet Fabulous Flip Flops Crochet Double Strand Ruffle Flip Flops Crochet Posy Ruffle Flip Flops

What does upholding the conviction of Vancouver's worst serial killer mean?

The upholding of serial killer Robert Pickton's conviction means some murder victims' families may never get closure

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/columnists/andrew_hanon/2009/06/26/9939986-sun.html

By ANDREW HANON
Friday, June 26, 2009

Randall Knight calls it "survivor's guilt."

"It feels like we finally get justice, but the other 20 families get nothing," he said yesterday, moments after serial killer Robert Pickton's conviction for the murder of Knight's sister, Georgina Papin, was upheld by the B.C. Supreme Court.

Knight was huddled with two other sisters, Cynthia Cardinal and Elana Papin, yesterday in Cardinal's Mill Woods home. They were awaiting the decision on Pickton's appeal of his 2007 conviction for killing six women, butchering them and dismembering their bodies at his suburban Vancouver pig farm.

Pickton's lawyers had appealed the second-degree murder convictions, arguing that the trial judge had erred in the instructions he gave to the jury before they began deliberating.

In a 2-1 decision yesterday, the B.C. Supreme Court justices ruled that the error wasn't serious enough to compromise Pickton's right to a fair trial.

Pickton still has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, but it wasn't clear yesterday whether his lawyers planned to. Cardinal said she was told by victims' services that he has until the end of August to decide.

Pickton was also charged with killing 20 more women, but those cases haven't gone to trial. The Crown said that if the first six convictions are upheld, it won't pursue the rest.

Cardinal said when they got the news yesterday, the trio were momentarily "dumbfounded. Then we were overwhelmed with joy. Then we realized what it meant to the other 20 families."

Members of those families were furious that the government doesn't plan to pursue their loved ones' cases, arguing that they will never see justice.

"We want to be happy, but we also want to have respect for all the other families," said Knight.

The decision to divide the case has long been a sore point with the victims' families.

"They should never have split off those other 20 charges," said Cardinal angrily.

Tammy Papin, another sister, said while she's happy the convictions were upheld, she's disappointed that it's only second-degree murder. Pickton was initially charged with first-degree murder.

But at long last, they can hold a funeral for their sister.

"We finally get a death certificate," said Papin. "We won't get her remains (until the final avenue of appeal is settled), but we can go ahead."

They hope to hold it in September. That way, unless Pickton decides to appeal again, they should finally be able to bring Georgina's remains home.

All that remains of her body are a few bones from her hand, which were recovered from the hellish nightmare that police found on Pickton's 17-acre farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C. All of the 26 women whose remains were found there led troubled lives of drug addiction and prostitution in Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside, where Pickton is accused of luring them back to his farm with drugs and money.

Georgina grew up in foster care with only her brother Rick. They didn't even know about their seven other siblings, who were raised in various homes around Edmonton. For the thousandth time yesterday, Cardinal's eyes welled with tears.

"God, I miss her."

---

Of the six women Robert Pickton is convicted of killing, three are from Alberta:

Georgina Papin: a member of the Enoch Cree Nation near Edmonton

Mona Wilson: Her mother was a member of the O'Chiese First Nation near Rocky Mountain House, but Mona spent most of her childhood in foster care in B.C.

Brenda Wolfe: born in Pincher Creek and grew up in Calgary

The other three victims are Sereena Abotsway, Andrea Joesbury and Marnie Frey.

ANDREW.HANON@SUNMEDIA.CAA

I wish I knew what meant for the other 20 families. On one side I am ecstatic that the conviction was upheld as my friends Georgina and Brenda got justice. None of the women "deserved" to die the way they did. Pickton has until September to decide whether to appeal this decision or not. If he doesn't then that means the families can give their family member's a decent send off, whatever that is.

I recently attended an aboriginal ceremony that celebrated the life of a beautiful and strong aboriginal women who passed away much to young. It celebrated life and the idea that the spirit was with us. It was the first time that I had been at a funeral where it wasn't maudlin, it was uplifting and I felt my higher power there. My hope is that the families can finally perform a similar ceremony for their loved ones, so they remember them for who they were and not what the media has made them out to be...drug addicted, prostitutes.

I really would love the media to have seen these women the way I did. I didn't know the ones that disappeared later on as they came to the Downtown Eastside after my daughter and I left. My life hasn't always been easy and I have had many struggles. I battle my own demons, everyday. People look at me and think how could she possibly know what life was like down there on the low track? I may not have lived on the streets but I had my fair share of struggles, some were of my own making, others were not.

These women were special and they had family and children that loved them. My heart goes out to each and everyone of those family members that lost a loved one to this sick and sadistic monster. My heart goes out to the friends and the street families that loved these women as women, as friends.

Please let's not forget the 27th charge that was thrown out on the "Jane Doe". Someone must be missing her, who is she? Why did she have to die like the others? Please pray to God, to the Creator, the Goddess, whomever you believe is your Higher Power to get answers about this young women. Someone out there is missing a member of their family. I know if I was missing a loved one I would want answers.

Cora

Another Article on Pickton

Pickton paradox: serial killer's successful appeal might mean real justice

Published Wednesday June 24th, 2009
Sunny Dhillon, THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER, B.C. - It's a subversive twist to one of the most complex, convoluted legal proceedings in modern Canadian history: the friends and family of some 20 alleged murder victims, most of them siding - for the moment, at least - with the lawyers who represent serial killer Robert Pickton.

Enlarge Photo

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Jayson Fleury, brother of Mona Wilson, who Robert Pickton was convicted of killing, holds a sign as friends and family members of Pickton's victims hold a drum circle outside the British Columbia Court of Appeal where the serial killer's appeal was taking place in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday March 30, 2009.

The gut-wrenching paradox, rooted in the former pig farmer's conviction in December 2007 on just six counts of second-degree murder, has left them with a difficult choice: another long struggle toward justice for their loved ones versus the gratification of seeing legal closure.

The B.C. Court of Appeal will rule Thursday on appeals from both Pickton's defence lawyers and the Crown. Pickton's counsel is appealing his convictions, arguing - among other things - that the trial judge made mistakes in his instructions to the jury.

The Crown has launched a counter-appeal of the judge's decision to split the 26 murder charges originally laid against Pickton into two separate trials. Crown lawyers say they won't pursue a second trial if the six original murder convictions are allowed to stand.

For those who want a verdict in the deaths of the remaining 20 women, it all boils down to the lesser of two evils.

"We would hate to see Pickton actually win his appeal, but we want him to - only because that is the only way we foresee the other 20 girls getting justice," said Lori-Ann Ellis, whose sister-in-law Cara Ellis is among the outstanding cases.

Cara Ellis was 25 when police say she was last seen in January 1997.

Dianne Rock was nearly one decade older, 34, when the mother of five vanished in October 2001.

Her sister, Lilliane Beaudoin, said it's not easy pulling for Pickton's defence team, but she believes it's her only choice.

"This way, at least I have some kind of hope that there's going to be a second trial and that my sister's case will be in the second trial," Beaudoin said.

"It's sad to say. Usually I would go for the Crown counsel, but not in this case."

Beaudoin said while having the convictions tossed out would undoubtedly be difficult for the families of the six women involved, it may be equally difficult for the families of the 20 women to be left in limbo.

"We need the justice that they received," she said.

Pickton was convicted in December 2007 and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years in the killings of Mona Wilson, Sereena Abotsway, Andrea Joesbury, Georgina Papin, Brenda Wolfe, and Marnie Frey.

For Frey's stepmother, Lynn, there's no question whom she's pulling for.

"I definitely root for the 20," she said. "Even if I hadn't known those people personally, if I hadn't met them at the trial, I would have thought the same thing.

"It's totally unfair. They need accountability, they need justice and they need their day in court, just like anybody else."

Frey, who's been fighting to reclaim her stepdaughter's remains from the massive collection of evidence in the Pickton case, said while a second trial would delay that quest, it's a sacrifice she'd be willing to make.

"It is a no-win situation," she said. "If they said we're going to have another trial, then I'll suck it up and wait for the next trial ... the pain that they're going through is atrocious."

Not everyone is as ready to see the case go to trial for the second time.

Sarah de Vries disappeared in April 1998, one month shy of her 29th birthday, and is one of the 20 women on the list for a possible second trial. Her friend, Wayne Leng, said though he's conflicted at times, he doesn't really want the court proceedings to go that far.

"Pickton can't get any more time than he's already gotten," Leng said. "He's going to be in jail for life."

Leng stressed that he is 100 per cent behind the families hoping for a second trial. He simply isn't convinced that more court proceedings would provide any greater sense of closure for the loss of his friend.

"They've got the guy," he said. "They've nailed him. . . . I don't know how I would feel any different with him absolutely being found guilty of her murder."

For Beaudoin, however, it's important that the circumstances that led to her sister's death be part of the public record.

"This is why I want a trial for my sister," she said.

"My sister is gone. I want the man who supposedly has done this to her to be accountable for it. You just don't press charges of first-degree murder against a man and then not go forward."

Pickton was arrested in February 2002, setting off a massive search of his property in Port Coquitlam, B.C., where investigators found body parts, blood samples, fragments of bone and the belongings of victims.

The Crown is appealing Pickton's acquittal on six first-degree murder charges, but Crown prosecutor Gregory Fitch has said he would prefer to see the second-degree murder convictions stand and Pickton simply remain in prison, his legal saga over.

Fitch did express concern about the possibility of the appeal court denying Pickton's appeal while at the same time granting that of the Crown, which could have the unintended effect of requiring a new trial the Crown doesn't want.

Should that happen, Fitch said he would ask the court to stay the order for a new trial.

Pickton's defence lawyers told the Appeal Court that there was a lot of confusion among jury members on the question of whether Pickton acted alone.

Lawyer Gil McKinnon said that confusion only got worse after the jury asked a question of the trial judge six days into deliberations.

"At least one or more jurors seemed to be having difficulty on whether Robert Pickton was the sole shooter of the three women," McKinnon said in late March, referring to the murders of Wilson, Abotsway and Joesbury.

The women's severed heads were found on Pickton's farm. Each woman had been shot.

Six days into jury deliberations, Justice James Williams changed his instructions to the jury, saying he had been "not sufficiently precise" and "in error" in three paragraphs of his original charge.

© 2008 CanadaEast Interactive, Brunswick News Inc. All rights reserved. More Copyright Information