
This story saddens me deeply. David Ramsay, a former B.C. judge from Prince George plead guilty to five charges, including sexual assault causing bodily harm, and obtaining sexual services from someone under age 18.
All of the crimes took place while Ramsay, 61, was a judge in Prince George in the mid-1990s. Ramsay's victims were mostly aboriginal prostitutes who ranged in age from 12 to 16 at the time of the assaults.
Ramsay was sentenced to seven years and was incarcerated in New Brunswick. In 2007 protesters rallied objecting to the fact that his parole hearing was not public and was being done in secret. In January 2008 Ramsay died of cancer in jail.
This case shows how absurd and misplaced the fear and paranoia is thinking we are not allowed to ever question a court judge or any of their decisions. Judge Wallace Craig has explained that it is not only the public's right to question judges and their decisions, it is their duty.
I came across the story when it mentioned two police officers in Prince George being investigated with similar offenses. One Kamloops officer sued the RCMP over being investigated.
I certainly don't want to jump on the anti police crusade. That is pointless. If ours was not a democratic society we would never hear about these kind of allegations and we would not be allowed to talk about them. My point is, no one is above the law. Not even court judges.
What Judge Ramsay did was horrific. He destroyed young girls lives. Yet what Peter Leask is doing is just as bad. His horrible decisions about gangs is destroying our communities and our province. In a democratic society judges are accountable to the public.
Prince George faces so much drug related crime from the Hells Angels and their puppet clubs the Renegades, the Crew and the Independent Soldiers. This story makes me wonder how many Ken Houstons and Rob Sidhus there are in Prince George helping them.