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| Gun registry foe admits law breach - Wednesday, November 12, 2003 at 21:36 |
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Oscar Lacombe Trial Update! - Saturday, November 08, 2003 at 07:50 Gun registry foe admits law breach: Former legislature sergeant-at-arms sought own arrest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Former legislature sergeant-at-arms Oscar Lacombe admitted Friday he didn't have legal authority to possess Lacombe, 75, is one of the first people in Alberta charged with bringing a weapon to a protest Jan. 1, which the About 20 supporters packed the provincial courtroom for the trial of the 27-year Canadian military veteran, who Lacombe testified he went to a rally outside the legislature with a plastic-wrapped .22-calibre rifle that he hadn't Two days earlier, he'd visited Edmonton police to tell them where and what he planned to do, even describing "He asked me if we could arrest him at the legislature and take him into custody." But officers didn't act until Lacombe was driving on an Edmonton street after the gathering broke up, letting He was charged in June with taking a weapon to a public meeting and possession of a firearm without a licence The charges were laid under the Criminal Code, not the Firearms Act, so his trial isn't challenging that Lacombe, who started hunting as a boy to help feed the 14 people in his family, testified he decided last fall the "By doing this, I thought I could bring to the attention of the community at large what a bad idea this gun Defence lawyer Richard Fritze argued his client isn't guilty because without a bolt the rifle involved wasn't a His actions are also covered by Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees of freedom of expression, Fritze "Mr. Lacombe's statement is like shouting in the wind if he doesn't bring that prop with him. "It's essential to his rights under the Charter to protest something he sees as odious and wrong." The judge asked for further written arguments before he gives his verdict in mid-December. Meanwhile, Canadian Alliance MP Garry Breitkreuz in Ottawa released a new poll showing national support for The poll, conducted by JMCK Polling, also revealed support for the gun registry is below 50 per cent in every Support was lowest in Albert at 15 per cent but even Quebec showed 46 per cent support. The poll showed that 55.3 per cent of Canadians agree with the idea of a provincial gun control policy as an In Alberta 50 per cent of those asked said they would like to see a provincial alternative. In Quebec the number This is the third national poll since December 2002 to show support for the gun registry below 50 per cent. JMCK interviewed 1,018 adult Canadians with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent. Breitkreuz says Ottawa would have saved more lives by putting the $1 billion it has so far spent on the gun
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