R. v. Chisholm (G.), (1997) 27 O.T.C. 347 (GD)

• Judge: Hill, J.
• Court: Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
• Case Date: April 09, 1997
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: (1997), 27 O.T.C. 347 (GD)

R. v. Chisholm (G.) (1997), 27 O.T.C. 347 (GD)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1997] O.T.C. TBEd. MY.033

Her Majesty The Queen v. George Chisholm

(Court File No: M730/94)

Indexed As: R. v. Chisholm (G.)

Ontario Court of Justice

General Division

Central West Region

Hill, J.

April 9, 1997.

Summary:

The accused was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation. The complainant was his 14 year old babysitter. The accused sought to have the court admit evidence that he offered a biological sample to the authorities for forensic comparison to the semen sample removed from the complainant. Ultimately, the sample from the complainant proved insufficient for DNA testing and no sample was provided by the accused.

The Ontario Court (General Division) refused to admit the evidence where its potential prejudice substantially outweighed its probative value.

Criminal Law - Topic 5313.2

Evidence and witnesses - Inferences - Of consciousness of innocence - See paragraphs 1 to 56.

Evidence - Topic 1026

Relevant facts, relevance and materiality - Admissibility - Prejudicial evidence - See paragraphs 1 to 56.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Richards (D.B.) (1997), 87 B.C.A.C. 21; 143 W.A.C. 21 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Kavanagh (S.) (1994), 76 O.A.C. 19 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Sisson, [1985] O.J. No. 226 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

Wray v. R. (1971), 4 C.C.C.(2d) 378 (Ont. C.A.), affd. (1973), 10 C.C.C.(2d) 215 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 24].

Corke v. Corke and Cook, [1958] 1 All E.R. 224 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

United States v. Biaggi et al. (1990), 909 F.2d 662 (2nd Cir.), refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Béland and Phillips, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 398; 79 N.R. 263; 9 Q.A.C. 293; 36 C.C.C.(3d) 481, refd to. [para. 26].

R. v. Bedgood (1990), 98 N.S.R.(2d) 426; 263 A.P.R. 426; 60 C.C.C.(3d) 92 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 26].

United States v. Greene (1993), 995 F.2d 793 (8th Cir.), refd to. [para. 26].

United States v. Ferguson (1983), 15 M.J. 12 (U.S. Ct. of Military App.), refd to. [para. 26].

R. v. Frumusa (P.) (1996), 95 O.A.C. 337; 112 C.C.C.(3d) 211 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 28].

R. v. Pilgrim, [1996] O.J. No. 240 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 35].

United States v. Harris (1956), 21 C.M.R. 58 (Ct. of Military App.), refd to. [para. 36].

R. v. Sandhu (1989), 35 O.A.C. 118; 50 C.C.C.(3d) 492 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 36].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Wigmore on Evidence (1979), Chad. Rev., vol. 2, §293 [para. 21].

Counsel:

K. Livingstone, for the Crown;

N. Kozloff and C. Sherrin, for the accused.

This motion was heard on October 23 and 24, 1996, by Hill, J., of the Ontario Court (General Division), who released the following decision on April 9, 1997.