Crown withdraws ticket issued to Edmonton man who attended rally in May
A $1,200 ticket issued to an Edmonton man for violating COVID-19 public health orders during a rally has been withdrawn by Crown prosecutors.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) began representing Cory Teichroew after he received the ticket while attending a rally outside the Alberta legislature on May 10. Approximately 50 people were in attendance, demonstrating against the recent federal government gun ban and the Alberta COVID -19 lockdown.
The centre said Teichroew, an Indigenous man, was watching the proceedings when sheriffs allegedly singled him out before placing him under arrest, handcuffing him and issuing him the ticket. The ticket was issued under section 73(1) of the Public Health Act. A total of three people were ticketed during the rally.
Section 73 (1) states that a person who contravenes this act, the regulations, an order under section 62 or an order of a medical officer of health or physician under Part 3 is guilty of an offence.
JCCF said Wednesday the ticket has now been withdrawn by prosecutors. JCCF lawyer James Kitchen said the ticket being dropped was a sign the system is working but warned the fact it was issued in the first place has a chilling effect on free speech.
“Are these people going to be just as willing to go out and exercise their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly? No, they are going to be scared of police,” said Kitchen. “In a free society, people are only scared of police when they are breaking the law, not when they’re exercising their constitutional freedoms.”
Kitchen said there has never been an explanation as to why Teichroew was ticketed.
“He’s the strangest one in the sense that the other two targeted both had bull horns and were talking,” said Kitchen. “Mr. Teichroew, he was off to the side walking around, merely listening. I’m scratching my head as to why in the world he was targeted.”
Kitchen said Teichroew has now submitted a complaint against the sheriffs who ticketed him. The complaint argues Teichroew’s arrest was egregious, breached the Sheriff ’s Code of Conduct and warrants formal discipline.
He said he hopes the complaint will bring a form of accountability to the sheriffs’ actions.
“It’s not just accountability about egregious conduct. Hopefully stuff like this will result in these law enforcement officers having a better understanding of these fundamental freedoms and how to respect them,” said Kitchen.