Lethbridge Herald, The (Newspaper) - June 25, 2004, Lethbridge, Alberta What's On TV viewing guide Charges dropped against U.S pilot Your Hie Your community Your newspaper Home delivery 50 daily HERALD Ftiday June We would have preferred that the Crown not take this action Daly NHL spokesman Hockey will go on trial Bertuzzi hires high-profile Vancouver to defend him on assault charge By JIM MORRIS Canadian Press VANCOUVER again the is going on trial Vancouver Canucks was with assault causing bodily harm for a March 8 on- ice attack that left Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore wit ha broken neck and his NHL career in Todd Bertuzzi Bertuzzi has been ordered to appear in provincial court July 9 If found guilty the Bertuzzi could face a penalty ranging from jail time to an absolute discharge with no criminal record during the third period of a Colorado blowout win lias been shown repeatedly on television across North America and elsewhere The incident was a major embarrassment for the league and renewed debate about violence and the culture of hockey The incident left the Moore in hospital with three fractured vertebrae facial cuts significant symptoms and significant amnesia Nerves in the neck area were also stretched by the blow Doctors say it's not when or if the native Out will play hockey again Thursday's announcement comes on the eve of the entry draft this weekend in Raleigh a showcase event for the league Now the spotlight of future stars will be shared with talk of lawyers and on- ice violence Geoffrey Gaul legal services for the B.C Criminal Justice Branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General defended the length of time it took to decide whether charges should be laid It didn't take too long to make the said Gaul It took as long as the Crown required to do a complete assessment of the available evidence The Crown will not make a decision on charges unless we're satisfied that we have sufficient evidence to allow us to make a charging decision Bertuzzi could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail if the trial is held in B.C Supreme Court Legal experts say that penalty would be reserved only for the worst cases with repeat offenders and is highly unlikely in this incident If the case is heard in B.C provincial court the maximum penalty is IB months The venue is up to the Crown which has yet to decide according to Gaul PHOTO BY IAN MARTENS Incumbent Rick Casson answers a question Hanked by candidates from right to left Erin Matthews not seen Ken Nicol Duslin Sobie and Ken Broek Thursday during a federal election lomm at Kergan Centre Candidates Lethbridge hopefuls square off in forum last night Down to the wire Crowd of 140 to six candidates at Kergan Centre By GERALD GAUTHIER Herald Taxation and government accountability were the dominant issues at a eral election fomm day evening All six Lethbridge candidates were peppered with questions from a panel of media and post-secondary representative as well as many from the audience of roughly 140 on hand at the Kergan Centre Incumbent Conservative candidate Rick Casson and Liberal rival Ken Nicol stuck mainly to their respective parties platforms in debating the pros and cons of lax cuts Casson said a income tax cut would boost the economy by leaving more money in families pockets while Nicol argued a similar policy had failed in the U.S and would result only in Canada's debt being passed on to the next generation Casson countered with economic projections indicating if existing tax rates aren't reduced the federal surplus would leap from its current billion level to billion in five years Also fielding questions were NDP candidate Thomas Green Party nominee Erin Matthews Christian Heritage Party candidate Ken Vanden Broek and Marijuana Party hopeful Dustin Sobie The forum was sponsored by the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Lethbridge Herald and other local media Thomas said she favours making provincial governments more accountable for how they spend federal transfer payments especially in Alberta where money is likely to go to horse-racing initiatives before health care and education Matthews advocated reducing individual income taxes and placing consumption taxes on industry to encourage businesses to develop more sound environmental practices When asked why he chose to run for the Liberal party Nicol said democracy works when voters elect people of integrity from their communities that people should vote for him before his parly 1 le also said none of the major political parties in Canada have been immune to scandal federally or provincially It's not the party it's the individuals inside he said Laws don't prevent lawbreakers it's people who prevent lawbreakers Nicol also pledged if elected to go against the Liberal party line and lobby against the gun registry because that's what the majority of local constituents want The gun registry doesn't work We have to focus on other he said Casson said the first priorities for a Conservative government would be assuring greater government accountability by expanding the mandate of the auditor general as well as having an ethics commissioner by the House of Commons With the country facing the prospect of minority government led by either the Liberals or the Conservatives Thomas said strategic work Story CONTINUED on POLICING Sting nabs city hookers 19 Johns among those facing charges By GERALD GAUTHIER An undercover sling operation in downtown Lethbridge has resulted in prostitution solicitation charges against 23 people Lethbridge regional police undertook the four-day operation June and netted four female hookers as well as 19 male customers commonly referred to as the latter ranging in age from 25 to 79 The project involved having a female officer posing as a prostitute and was launched after downtown reported sex trade activity going on along Street South between 1 Avenue South and 4 Avenue South It typically occurred during the afternoon and early evening We identified there was a problem there so we mustered a few resources and put an operation said Staff Sgt Jim Carriere head of organized crime investigations These aren't he only ones noted in the area hut they're the only ones we're processing charges against A total of 25 charges have been laid under the Criminal Code provision which makes it illegal for hookers or would-be customers to communicate in a public place for the purpose of prostitution The names of those charged were not released The accused women range in age from 27 to A summary conviction the charge carries a maximum penalty of or up to six months in jail Such operations typically have little tasting in deterring prostitutes Carriere said but it'll slow down those Johns very much Those involved in the street sex Irade are negative users of the downtown he said and are often linked with violence and other crime A similar sting operation in 1998 resulted in charges against 23 men and four suspected female prostitutes Local gasoline prices plummet Story CONTINUED on Page A2 However Lethbridge still lags behind other cities in Alberta By DAVE MABELL Herald It's like an election promise come Gasoline prices dropped nearly a dime Thursday in Lethbridge following a drop in wholesale prices across the Prairies But they're still appreciably higher than in Calgary where many stations are selling for 70.4 cents a litre this week And a local consumer group says Lethbridge retailers still enjoy higher profit margins than in other Alberta communities Independent data supports the commonly held view that Lethbridge gasoline prices are consistently higher than prices in other says Chris Spearman spokesman for Action Against High Gas Prices Price gouging at the pumps is happening again and it's a common occurrence in Lethbridge Prices in and Nanton have also dropped close to Calgary levels he reports After weeks in the high 80s retail rates have been falling across Western Canada over the last few Alberta wholesale prices began slumping at the end of May But retail price cuts didn't start until Thursday in and they were spotty While downtown Shell and Esso stations were selling at 76.4 cents including their usual discount several stations on 5 Avenue N still posted 88.5 cents Others near downtown were charging 79.9 cents although the gas bar offered a further reduction of up to 7.5 cents with a grocery purchase Canadian Tire also at 79.9 regularly offers posted discounts plus Canadian Tire money on cash or debit card purchases The price cuts arriving just as summer holidays start for many Canadian families weren't confined to Alberta Travellers arriving at found a reduction in recent days to cents a litre and Saskatchewan prices have dropped as much as four cents a litre HERALD PHOTO BY IAN MARTENS Albert Smart gases up his vehicle Thursday after prices al some pumps dropped by close to nine cents INDEX Business Stods City Comes Classified Dave Bany Deaths Living Opinion Sports Scoreboard The Stage Theatres Weather B5 B6 87 CIO A7 A6 BM B4 C9 Let your Fingers do the Winning Von could win your vehicle apply to qualified retail customers only limited time offer cannot be combined See dealer for details Guaranteed PURCHASE FINANCING UP TO 60 MONTHS ON VIRTUALLY ALL Every call wins at PONTIAC BUICK CMC Trail East Lethbridge
