No pizzas and haircuts!

Good Day Readers:

According to the following letter received today from The Honourable Madam Justice K. I. Simonsen it doesn't look like MMF President David Chartrand, his Board of Director Plaintiffs and their taxpayer financed lawyer Murray Trachtenberg (http://www.ptlaw.mb.ca; mtrachtenberg@ptlaw.mb.ca) will be getting their pizza and haircut money anytime soon.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 24, 2010

[by email and regular mail)]

Mr. Murray N. Trachtenberg
Posner & Trachtenberg
Barristers and Solicitors
Fuite 710 - 491 Portage Avenue
Sinnipeg, MB R3B 2E4

Mr. Clare L. Pieuk
2 – 371 Des Meurons Street
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2N6

Dear Sirs:

Re: Manitoba Metis Federation Inc. et al. v. Belhumeur et al.
Queen’s Bench File No. CI 05-01-41955

Further to your appearance in court on February 22, 2010, this is my decision on costs with respect to time spent addressing Mr. Pieuk’s proposed witnesses.

Because my decision regarding the witnesses was provisional only (that is, it is reviewable by the trial judge), I do not believe it is appropriate for me to decide the issue of costs at this stage.

I am sympathetic with the plaintiffs’ position that considerable unnecessary time was spent dealing with proposed witnesses relevant to justification when Mr. Pieuk had been reminded that justification is not before the court. Nonetheless, I believe that costs associated with issues regarding witnesses should be dealt with by the trial judge. If the trial judge refers the question of costs to me because of my familiarity with the circumstances under which I dealt with the issue of Mr. Pieuk’s witnesses, I will deal with the matter at that time.

Yours truly,
KAREN I. SIMONSEN
KIS/bc

cc: Mr. Terry Belhumeur [by email and regular mail]