GUILTY Canada - Renee Sweeney, 23, murdered, Sudbury, Ont, 27 Jan 1998 *arrest in 2018*

[Gina20]

Juries are members of the public, not staff, so they enter through the public entrance. They go through security clearance like any other member of the public.

Restricting the parking in front of the courthouse to a drop-off zone only might be a solution to issues like this. It seems uncommon for something like this to occur. Some courthouses in bigger centres do restrict the area around courthouse entrance where people can gather to protest, and they act on it.

 

[JuneBug67]

Justice Robbie Gordon came to the bench from a family with a law background. He was a lawyer for two decades. He has been serving as a justice for 16 years.

Lawyers on either side can appeal decisions, but the justice has depth of experience.

New judge follows dad’s legacy

BY KEITH LACEY There was no prouder dad in the country Thursday when Justice Ian Gordon watched his son, Rob, sworn in as the newest member of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice at the Sudbury Courthouse.

www.sudbury.com

He also did a stint as a Regional Senior Judge for the Northeast Region of the Superior Court of Justice for the standard five year term.

Government of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario - Canada.ca

The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments:

www.canada.ca

 

[dotr]

I just made a random but maybe interesting connection. When Wright testified he chose to swear on the Bible rather than affirming - a choice all witnesses get to make. His Facebook has multiple posts criticizing or mocking religion in 2015, three years before his arrest.

The equivalent of crossing fingers behind one's back? speculation.

 

[JuneBug67]

Juries are members of the public, not staff, so they enter through the public entrance. They go through security clearance like any other member of the public.

Restricting the parking in front of the courthouse to a drop-off zone only might be a solution to issues like this. It seems uncommon for something like this to occur. Some courthouses in bigger centres do restrict the area around courthouse entrance where people can gather to protest, and they act on it.

There is no parking in front of the Sudbury Courthouse where the main entrance is. This had to have happened at the back where the parking is.

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[JuneBug67]

The equivalent of crossing fingers behind one's back? speculation.

I wonder if it's standard lawyer advice to swear on the Bible in serious cases just for the optics.

 

[Gina20]

I’m also curious why the jury entered through the main entrance. You’d expect it would be more private to protect their identities, for safety and so others wouldn’t try to persuade them.

Further thoughts on this.

Most courthouses simply weren't built for modern times. Elsewhere, new facilities have been built and future ones planned. These include things like underground, secure parkades for court staff, underground entrances for delivering prisoners from remand for trials, high-security courtrooms with bulletproof glass for organized crime trials, security checkpoints, upgraded security cameras, better audio systems, etc.

New arrest processing centres and remand centres have also been built that remove "perp walks" from the equation, also with underground entrances for police and sheriff vehicles.

Hopefully, future facilities will include CO2 monitors and HEPA air filtration.

In the meantime, older facilities outside major urban centres have to deal with whatever already exists. This leads to situations like an overcrowded courthouse near my home that has nowhere for the jury to go during breaks. A lawyer who went there told me that the jury, the friends and family of the accused and victim of a violent crime were all standing in the hallway during breaks with nowhere to sit and sharing the public washrooms. Not ideal.

A new coat of paint won't address these structural issues. It will take major investment in new facilities. Until this can happen, governments can do things like installing bollards, restricting parking, enforcing parking and creating no-protest zones near courthouse entrances. This is not the responsibility of judges. It takes investment by government.

 

[Gina20]

There is no parking in front of the Sudbury Courthouse where the main entrance is. This had to have happened at the back where the parking is.

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In front of the entrances.

Public parking lots exist for the public. Was Kim Sweeney parked legally? If so, she did not break any rules or laws, I suspect. Should she have done it? Probably not. Logo shirts are banned from the big courthouse in my city, likely for just this reason.

However, in big cities certain trials attract protestors with signs, standing across the street every day, or as close to the restricted area as they can get. Juries just have to get on with business.

The judge in this case took action to address the situation fairly.

 

[JuneBug67]

Robert Steven Wright found guilty in Renee Sweeney murder

CTV News has learned the jury in the Robert Steven Wright has found him guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Renee Sweeney in Sudbury on Jan. 27, 1998.

northernontario.ctvnews.ca

Verdict. Court resumes at 4 pm.

Relatively quick for a several week trial. Good in that it means it was fairly definintive to them, either way.

 

[tmar]

Robert Steven Wright found guilty in Renee Sweeney murder

CTV News has learned the jury in the Robert Steven Wright has found him guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Renee Sweeney in Sudbury on Jan. 27, 1998.

northernontario.ctvnews.ca

Verdict. Court resumes at 4 pm.

Relatively quick for a several week trial. Good in that it means it was fairly definintive to them, either way.

I'm 'down under': how many hours, from now???

 

[Gina20]

Robert Steven Wright found guilty in Renee Sweeney murder

CTV News has learned the jury in the Robert Steven Wright has found him guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Renee Sweeney in Sudbury on Jan. 27, 1998.

northernontario.ctvnews.ca

Verdict. Court resumes at 4 pm.

Relatively quick for a several week trial. Good in that it means it was fairly definintive to them, either way.

There are extra police at the courthouse and four additional officers outside searching everyone's bags as they enter.

Big courthouses elsewhere have metal detectors and bag searches as standard procedure, all the time.

 

[Gina20]

I'm 'down under': how many hours, from now???

It's 4:09 p.m. now...

 

[JuneBug67]

I'm 'down under': how many hours, from now???

It's currently 4:09 pm, so we should hear very shortly.

 

[Gina20]

Guilty.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/ren%C3%A9e-sweeney-murder-trial-verdict-1.6795106

 

[tmar]

Guilty.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/ren%C3%A9e-sweeney-murder-trial-verdict-1.6795106

YIPPEE.

 

[JuneBug67]

So, short deliberation, quick verdict.

One might say Guilty AF...

 

[Alison]

There is no parking in front of the Sudbury Courthouse where the main entrance is. This had to have happened at the back where the parking is.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

There is parking in front and across from the building. It is street parking.

 

[Gina20]

The judge has sent the jury back to prepare their sentencing recommendation. It's life with no possibility of parole for 10 to 25 years for second-degree murder. If allowed the lesser, he could be released in about 3.5 years, due to double time for time served in custody prior to sentencing. The double time bonus is no longer in effect for crimes committed in present times.

The judge determines the sentence.

Robert Steven Wright found guilty in Renee Sweeney murder

CTV News has learned the jury in the Robert Steven Wright has found him guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Renee Sweeney in Sudbury on Jan. 27, 1998.

northernontario.ctvnews.ca

 

[JuneBug67]

There is parking in front and across from the building. It is street parking.

Yeah I just meant not right in front of the building. Meters are on the other side of the road.

 

[dotr]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/ren%C3%A9e-sweeney-murder-trial-verdict-1.6795106

''Steven Wright has been found guilty of stabbing 23-year-old Renée Sweeney to death in a Sudbury video store on Jan. 27, 1998.

The jury delivered its verdict in the Sudbury courthouse on Wednesday afternoon, after deliberating for a little more than a day.

A cheer went up from the side of the courtroom where the Sweeney family was sitting and people hugged each other with tears in their eyes.

There were also tears in the eyes of Wright's mother as she watched her 43-year-old son be led out of the courtroom by police officers.''

 

[Alison]

Yeah I just meant not right in front of the building. Meters are on the other side of the road.

Not that it really matters but there are meters on both sides, the ones on the courthouse side are a little farther away from the lights and closer to the jail.