Comm. Glaude won’t excuse Lefebvre from testifying
Cornwall Standard Freeholder
03 July 2008
Posted By TREVOR PRITCHARD,
It appears the testimony of police witnesses at the Cornwall Public Inquiry might not be finished just yet.
Inquiry commissioner Normand Glaude ruled Wednesday that lawyers for the Cornwall Community Police Service had not adequately proven retired cop Ron Lefebvre should be excused for testifying for mental health reasons.
The inquiry, which is probing how institutions handled allegations of historical sexual abuse, has scrutinized a number of investigations Lefebvre led while a member of the CCPS.
One prominent case was Lefebvre’s 1985 investigation into Earl Landry Jr.,the son of former police chief Earl LandrySr. The CCPS originally decided there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Landry Jr. with a crime. But more complainants came forward over the next decade, and after the CCPS reopened their investigation, Landry Jr. confessed in 1997 to abusing five boys.
One victim later sued the police, alleging that Landry Sr. used his influence to disrupt the 1985 investigation.
The CCPS had submitted a motion in June arguing that Lefebvre was unable to take the stand. Three other parties – Citizens for Community Renewal, the Coalition for Action, and The Victims Group -took the opposite stance.
In his ruling, Glaude said he had difficulty with the fact Lefebvre was still employed as a special constable and testified at bail hearings. He suggested it would be “helpful” if the CCPS could provide more comprehensive medical evidence outlining how the inquiry’s process might harm Lefebvre.
“It is clear that Mr. Lefebvre’s evidence is important to this inquiry,” Glaude said. “In determining whether to excuse him from testifying, I need to base my decision on the best available evidence.”
He encouraged the CCPS to discuss the matter with commission counsel. Police attorney Peter Manderville said Glaude’s ruling fell into a “middle ground” between requiring Lefebvre to testify and allowing him to be excused.
“My sense of it is he’s certainly not going to force officer Lefebvre to get in the witness box straight away,” said Manderville. When asked if he was confident Lefebvre would ultimately be able to forgo testifying, Manderville replied: “Too soon to say.”
Eighteen CCPS witnesses took the stand from February to June.
Article ID# 1097953
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Comments
Subpoena him and if he refuses to testify put him with Perry Dunlop for contempt of court
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #1 By Dodger
What’s good for one witness should be good for every one of them that will not testify
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #2 By Dodger,
If this officer is well enough to work as a special constable then he is well enough to testify. They will try anything to keep certain witnesses from testifying.
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #3 By Dodger,
to me just another game.he will testify in the end.[another smoke screen].he,ll be ordered by the courts or the commissioner.then take the stand.front page in freeholder courts order lefebvre to testify unlike perry dunlop lefebvre takes stand.
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #4 By luckyred,
Strange how the young abused kids never got the same considerations of “Mental Illness (depression etc.) that this retired so-called cop got and still haven’t gotten the help they needed, maybe the Concerned Citizens for the Renewal of Cornwall should be part of the solution and not part of the problem and get out of the way so some REAL professionals can help these abused kids who are now adults. Visioning Day my ass, these people are too scared to go public with the non help they got in the past and the vast majority of them can’t even deal with it within themselves and if you were ever abused or came from a family where someone had been abused, then maybe you’d get some idea of what it really is like but then again, there goes your “Precious Rep”, eh?
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #5 By <a�href=”http: www.standard-freeholder.com=”” account=”” profile.aspx?un=”booga-booga” “=””>booga-booga, </a�href=”http:>