http://lawiscool.com/2008/06/13/chronic-drunk-driver-gets-20-years-but-not-designated-a-dangerous-offender/?nucrss=1 The law school blog and podcast from Canada Mon, 07 May 2012 13:10:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://lawiscool.com/2008/06/13/chronic-drunk-driver-gets-20-years-but-not-designated-a-dangerous-offender/comment-page-1/#comment-3635 Rhonda Giroux Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:25:19 +0000 http://lawiscool.com/?p=471#comment-3635 The sentence for Raymond Yellowknee came one day after Prime Minster Stephen Harper publically apologized to native people on behalf of the Canadian government for its assimilation practices and the mistreatment of native children in residential schools. This sentence could not have come at a more inopportune moment and, to some extent, may have influenced the decision in some way because Yellowknee's heritage would definitely have come up during an appeal process and the judge had to have known this. It would have been a history making designation and the fact that Yellowknee is native would have set off a storm of controversy. The fact that Misty Chalifoux and her children were also native would, in my opinion, not have quelled a negative outcry from native leaders and communities. It was disappointing, to say the least. The sentence for Raymond Yellowknee came one day after Prime Minster Stephen Harper publically apologized to native people on behalf of the Canadian government for its assimilation practices and the mistreatment of native children in residential schools. This sentence could not have come at a more inopportune moment and, to some extent, may have influenced the decision in some way because Yellowknee’s heritage would definitely have come up during an appeal process and the judge had to have known this. It would have been a history making designation and the fact that Yellowknee is native would have set off a storm of controversy. The fact that Misty Chalifoux and her children were also native would, in my opinion, not have quelled a negative outcry from native leaders and communities. It was disappointing, to say the least.

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