Who's "Ms G" and where is she?

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post. "Deja vu all over again" ..... Yogi Berra"

Hello Mr. Pieuk:

What interesting reading today! It would seem that Vic Populi has found the very Discipline Notice from Alberta that lead to my finding the divorce file when I first read about the second complaint against Douglas.

Apparently, the complaint of Ms. G has been dismissed. The CJC has issued a press release on the matter and you can view it here: http://www.cjc-ccm.gc.ca/english/news_en.asp?selMenu=news_2011_0105_en.asp

Sadly, it would appear that Ms. G did not have the necessary evidence for the complaint to move forward. Though it would appear this woman has some very stringent ethics! Filing complaints about her own husband and a judge takes some serious backbone and I applaud her efforts to hold them to the "supposed" ethical standards of the profession.

That being said, considering the findings from this hearing, combined with quotes Mr. McIntyre had from court transcripts, (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/New-complaint-against-judge-102422079.html), and finally inclduing the Douglas/King/Chapman mess, it certainly puts the question of whether or not the LSM has any conduct standards for the profession at all!

I certainly will make more effort to get to "coffee" with the boys, and perhaps make it to the Courthouse to find that Forensic Report!

As for my wife, I am not denied my personal vices, she just expects me to remain gainfully employed to support hers! A tolerant and supportive woman, I have no desire nor inclination to trade her in. From what I've seen of the newer models, they seem to be far more expensive and unpredictable! I'm quite content and am lucky to have her.

I continue to seek,

VJH
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Dear VJH:

As always thank you very much for taking the time to write. Thank goodness for The Public Eye!

Truth To Power (www.accesstoinfo.blogspot.com; vicpopuli1@gmail.com)

Mr. Populi is to be commended. We haven't done the research but he is likely one of the few, and perhaps only, practicing lawyers and bloggers publishing the results from law society disiplinary hearings. While he has featured multiple societies on his site several have focused on the Law Society of Manitoba. We imagine the attorneys he has highlighted and the LSM aren't exactly thrilled seeing this public domain information on the internet.

If one steps back it's interesting to note Douglas-King-Chapman, Ms G's complaint to the Canadian Judicial Council against Lorie Douglas and Winnipeg lawyer Mr. Y (and his accomplice) complaint against Blackie have certain parallels woven together into a bright colourful mosaic. To explain.

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Chief Justice Wittman in his ruling about Ms G's complaint offers no comment as to what would lead the Complainant to even suggest a "personal relationship" may have existed between Lori Douglas and Ms G's now ex-husband. Was Ms G merely ranting and raving when she made the allegation? Possibly. What was the nature of the alleged "personal relatioinship?" Should Lori Douglas have recused herself from hearing the divorce case from the get go so avoid all appearance of a possible conflict of interest so this could have been avoided? Wouldn't it be interesting to hear Ms G's assessment of the CJC decision but realistically that's highly unlikely to happen.

When Lori Douglas signed the disclosure form that went to the Canadian Judicial Council that rules on the appointment of judges was it full and complete? Did the CJC exercise due diligence in varifying the contents of the disclosure? We raise this question because according to media reports it would appear half of Winnipeg's legal community had known of the Douglas-King-Chapman scandal for some time. It's unlikely we'll ever know.

Now for a parallel. Back to Blackie. There was an obvious conflict of interest in the LSM's appointment of David M. Skwark (FillmoreRiley) to prosecute him. Did the Law Society exercise due diligence in appointing Mr. Skwark as prosecutor? How could they have missed it? Did they care?

Our impression as a layperson of the LSM is it prides itself on being a quasi-judicial body with all kinds of procedual checks and balances to supposedly prevent miscarriages of justice. Its disciplinary committees sometimes appear to be composed of lawyers suffering from "repressed judge syndrome) so this is how they get relief. But in the end after they finish posturing, priding themselves and preening somehow they manage to get it wrong. The Defendant(s) with a note from their doctor walk away with a mild slap on the wrist. We need look no further than the example of Jack King. Maybe Blackie should tender a note from his doctor - you know, he had a headache when he allegedly commited the misconduct of which he stands accused.

What is needed is a public inquiry into the operations of the Law Society of Manitoba. A good place to start would be with it's handling of Douglas-King-Chapman followed by Blackie. Will that ever happen? Not bloody likely.

You'll notice in Chief Justice Wittman's ruling on Ms G's complaint one of the remidies available is to refer the matter to an Inquiry Committee. Why not bundle both complaints against Lori Douglas and do just that?

What all this, in our opinion, is leading to is a re-make of the way the LSM and other Canadian Societies do business. Re-invent yourselves or it will be done for you. Look at the examples of Great Britain and the United States which ceased self-regulation a few years ago.

On the subject of ladies they're such interesting little creatures. It seems you can't live with or without them. Our favourite quotes spoken with tongue in cheek:

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." ..... Shakespeare

"A woman is only a woman but a good cigar is a smoke." ..... Rudyard Kipling

"No doubt exists that all women are crazy; it's only a matter of degree." ..... W. C. Fields

Sincerely/Clare L. Pieuk

P. S. VJH, time to return to "the coffee shop" to do more sleuthing don't you think?