Close X
Sunday, September 22, 2024
ADVT 
National

Appeal dismissal for 3 pot log smugglers

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Nov, 2023 01:12 PM
  • Appeal dismissal for 3 pot log smugglers

Three British Columbia men who allegedly tried to smuggle marijuana into the United States in hollowed-out logs almost 20 years ago are facing extradition again, and Canada's highest court will not intervene.

The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear appeal applications from Todd Ferguson, Daniel Joinson and Shane Fraser.

They are accused of shipping pot-packed logs from B.C.'s Okanagan and Shuswap regions to California in 2006 to supply a log home manufacturing business that California officials claim was actually a drug distribution hub.

The men argued their charter rights were breached when certain wiretap evidence was allowed at trial, but the B.C. Court of Appeal rejected that defence in 2021 and ordered Ferguson, Joinson and Fraser extradited.

Similar arguments in the same case were made to Canada's highest court six years ago but it refused an application from U.S. officials who hoped to appeal a B.C. ruling that overturned the men's 2015 extradition order and sent the matter back to B.C. Supreme Court for a second trial.

As is customary, the Supreme Court of Canada did not give reasons for its decision.

MORE National ARTICLES

Students head back to school as heat warnings blanket Central Canada

Students head back to school as heat warnings blanket Central Canada
The government of British Columbia has said no schools were damaged by the fires that tore through parts of the province, but that doesn't mean students will be unaffected.  The flames passed close by some schools in Kelowna, B.C., leaving destruction in their wake. 

Students head back to school as heat warnings blanket Central Canada

Weekend weather in central B.C. causes 'very aggressive' fire activity

Weekend weather in central B.C. causes 'very aggressive' fire activity
British Columbia's wildfire service says long weekend weather conditions caused "very aggressive fire activity" on several active blazes in the province's central fire zone. The service says the area covering the Vanderhoof and Fort St. James fire zone saw less humidity than expected, coupled with hot temperatures and strong winds over the long weekend. 

Weekend weather in central B.C. causes 'very aggressive' fire activity

Political pressure to stop rate hikes now coming from premiers, as BoC decision nears

Political pressure to stop rate hikes now coming from premiers, as BoC decision nears
Two premiers have sent letters to Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem urging the central bank to halt rate hikes ahead of its next rate decision tomorrow. Ontario Premier Doug Ford sent a letter on Sunday saying families and businesses cannot afford the "crushing impact of further rate hikes," echoing a letter British Columbia Premier David Eby sent on Thursday.

Political pressure to stop rate hikes now coming from premiers, as BoC decision nears

Shooting in Port Alberni

Shooting in Port Alberni
A man is in hospital and police are looking for a suspect vehicle after a shooting in Port Alberni. The R-C-M-P say it happened earlier today in a city back alley, leaving the victim with non-life-threatening injuries.

Shooting in Port Alberni

B.C. prison announces $287,000 seizure of contraband, from cellphones to steroids

B.C. prison announces $287,000 seizure of contraband, from cellphones to steroids
Prison officials in British Columbia say they've seized a large stash of contraband, including steroids and cellphones, smuggled into a maximum security institution outside Vancouver last week. Kim MacPherson, an assistant warden at Kent Institution, says the seizure was made on Aug. 24 thanks to staff vigilance. 

B.C. prison announces $287,000 seizure of contraband, from cellphones to steroids

Will updated COVID vaccines work against latest variant? Canadian scientists monitor global research

Will updated COVID vaccines work against latest variant? Canadian scientists monitor global research
Canada's first known case of the Omicron variant BA.2.86 was detected this week in British Columbia as the country became the seventh in the world to report its presence. Health Canada is currently reviewing applications for Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech's new mRNA vaccines, developed against the dominant XBB.1.5 variant ahead of a vaccination campaign set for the fall.  

Will updated COVID vaccines work against latest variant? Canadian scientists monitor global research