Harassed judge not the victim, Hahn argues
Christopher Richard Hahn says nobody told him to stop putting derogatory posters about a family court judge outside a Saskatoon courthouse.
Hahn, who is charged with criminally harassing Justice Shawn Smith, told a jury on Thursday that the posters were an outcry of frustration after “getting nowhere” in court to regain access to his son.
“My son is the victim here, not Judge Smith,” Hahn said during his closing address to the jury at his trial in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench.
Hahn is accused of harassing Smith between 2009 and 2012 after Smith issued a family court ruling he didn’t like. During that time frame, Hahn put up four different posters about Smith near the family law and Queen’s Bench courts in downtown Saskatoon, Crown prosecutor William Burge said.
The first few incidents didn’t frighten Smith, but he grew more concerned in June 2011, when Hahn confronted him as he was leaving court for lunch, Burge said.
Seeing a larger, fitter man who was “barely in control,” Smith feared what would happen next, Burge told jurors.
After the third poster appeared, Smith called police, and asked an officer to speak to Hahn about his behaviour, Burge said. He told police he didn’t want them to lay charges.
During the trial, the jury saw an April 2012 video of Hahn making a brief visit to the family court office on a day when he had no case before that court, Burge said, adding Hahn’s visit made Smith feel he was in “imminent peril.” More posters went up two days later.
Burge argued Hahn gave the judge a reason to feel afraid, which is an important element of proving the charge.
“This is an irrational, intimidating bully,” Burge said.
Hahn, who is representing himself, said the criminal proceedings against him are the latest chapter in a string of injustices against him by a corrupt justice system.
An old mistake stopped him from getting a fair shake in family court, he said.
“I felt like I was a black guy going up in front of the KKK or a Jew going up in front of Hitler. I was in a no-win situation,” he told the jury.
Hahn questioned why Smith didn’t take extra security measures when coming to and from work if he was afraid for his safety.
He told the jury he’s never been banned from a courthouse, has no history of violence, and no criminal record. Hahn also used his closing remarks to criticize Smith.
Justice Ralph Ottenbreit is expected to give his final instructions to the jury this morning before they begin deliberations