R. v. Florence (L.), 2015 BCCA 414
| Judge | Saunders, Chiasson and Frankel, JJ.A. |
| Court | Court of Appeal (British Columbia) |
| Case Date | October 02, 2015 |
| Jurisdiction | British Columbia |
| Citations | 2015 BCCA 414;(2015), 377 B.C.A.C. 194 (CA) |
R. v. Florence (L.) (2015), 377 B.C.A.C. 194 (CA);
648 W.A.C. 194
MLB headnote and full text
Temp. Cite: [2015] B.C.A.C. TBEd. OC.015
Regina (respondent) v. Leah Florence (appellant)
(CA40668; 2015 BCCA 414)
Indexed As: R. v. Florence (L.)
British Columbia Court of Appeal
Saunders, Chiasson and Frankel, JJ.A.
October 2, 2015.
Summary:
The accused, after killing her husband by stabbing him 14 times, was charged with second degree murder. Both had been drinking. The accused admitted guilt to manslaughter, but argued that her level of intoxication deprived her of the specific intent required for murder. She also raised the partial defence of provocation.
The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a judgment reported at [2012] B.C.T.C. Uned. 799, found the accused guilty of second degree murder. In a subsequent judgment, reported at [2013] B.C.T.C. Uned. 194, the court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for 12 years. The accused appealed her conviction.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal, in a judgment reported (2014), 359 B.C.A.C. 81; 615 W.A.C. 81, dismissed the appeal. The trial judge "made no errors in her reasoning. She correctly stated the law, meticulously reviewed the evidence, made findings of fact that were open to her on the evidence, and correctly applied the law to those facts." The accused applied for leave to appeal the period of parole ineligibility, seeking to have it reduced from 12 years to the minimum 10 years. The accused argued that the trial judge failed to give sufficient weight to her rehabilitative prospects and failed to properly apply the Gladue factors respecting aboriginal offenders.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal granted leave to appeal and dismissed the appeal. The trial judge properly considered the Gladue factors and rehabilitation. Twelve years of parole ineligibility was not unfit.
Criminal Law - Topic 5670
Punishments (sentence) - Imprisonment and parole - Parole - Period of ineligibility - See paragraphs 1 to 54.
Criminal Law - Topic 5832
Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Rehabilitation - See paragraphs 1 to 54.
Criminal Law - Topic 5846.1
Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Aboriginal offenders - See paragraphs 1 to 54.
Criminal Law - Topic 5881
Sentence - Murder - See paragraphs 1 to 54.
Cases Noticed:
R. v. Gladue (J.T.), [1999] 1 S.C.R. 688; 238 N.R. 1; 121 B.C.A.C. 161; 198 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 3].
R. v. Ipeelee (M.) (2012), 428 N.R. 1; 288 O.A.C. 224; 318 B.C.A.C. 1; 541 W.A.C. 1; 280 C.C.C.(3d) 265; 2012 SCC 13, refd to. [para. 3].
R. v. Lawson (D.R.M.) (2012), 331 B.C.A.C. 123; 565 W.A.C. 123; 294 C.C.C.(3d) 369; 2012 BCCA 508, refd to. [para. 20].
R. v. Gilliland (R.F.) (2014), 362 B.C.A.C. 224; 622 W.A.C. 224; 2014 BCCA 399, refd to. [para. 21].
R. v. Bennight (R.) (2012), 329 B.C.A.C. 250; 560 W.A.C. 250; 2012 BCCA 461, refd to. [para. 37].
R. v. Sunshine (D.C.) (2014), 359 B.C.A.C. 295; 615 W.A.C. 295; 2014 BCCA 318, refd to. [para. 46].
R. v. Cross (W.R.) (1998), 171 N.S.R.(2d) 56; 519 A.P.R. 56 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 47].
R. v. Helpin, 2009 QCCS 676, refd to. [para. 47].
R. v. Elliott (J.) (2015), 374 B.C.A.C. 72; 642 W.A.C. 72; 2015 BCCA 295, refd to. [para. 52].
R. v. Courtereille (S.F.) (2001), 154 B.C.A.C. 190; 252 W.A.C. 190; 2001 BCCA 254, refd to. [para. 53].
Counsel:
T.E. La Liberté, Q.C., for the appellant;
E.A. Campbell, for the respondent.
This application and appeal were heard on May 21, 2015, at Vancouver, B.C., before Saunders, Chiasson and Frankel, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
On October 2, 2015, Frankel, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal.
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IPEELEE AND THE DUTY TO RESIST.
...BCSC 2321, 2013 CarswellBC 3884; R v L(DRM), 2012 BCPC 184, 2012 CarswellBC 2215; R v Florence, 2013 BCSC 194, 2013 CarswellBC 298, affd 2015 BCCA 414,2015 CarswellBC 2822; R vL(KL), 2012 BCPC 273,2012 CarswellBC 2430; R v Lawson, 2012 BCCA 508, 2012 CarswellBC 3956, 294 CCC (3d) 369; R v L......
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R. v. Butcher, 2020 NSCA 50
...and the offender’s post-offence conduct. Despite some mitigating factors, parole ineligibility of 12 years was warranted. R. v. Florence, 2015 BCCA 414. A judge convicted the 45-year-old offender of the second degree murder of her husband of 15 years. The trial judge imposed a 12-year perio......
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Digest: R v J.P., 2018 SKQB 96
...345 Sask R 95 R v Chanalquay, 2015 SKCA 141, [2016] 4 WWR 242, 472 Sask R 110 R v Delorme, 2017 SKCA 3, 136 WCB (2d) 115 R v Florence, 2015 BCCA 414, 377 BCAC 194 R v Gladue, [1999] 1 SCR 688, 238 NR 1, 171 DLR (4th) 385, 121 BCAC 161, 133 CCC (3d) 385, 23 CR (5th) 197, 2 CNLR 252 R v Gray,......
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Digest: R v J.P., 2018 SKQB 96
...345 Sask R 95 R v Chanalquay, 2015 SKCA 141, [2016] 4 WWR 242, 472 Sask R 110 R v Delorme, 2017 SKCA 3, 136 WCB (2d) 115 R v Florence, 2015 BCCA 414, 377 BCAC 194 R v Gladue, [1999] 1 SCR 688, 238 NR 1, 171 DLR (4th) 385, 121 BCAC 161, 133 CCC (3d) 385, 23 CR (5th) 197, 2 CNLR 252 R v Gray,......
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R. v. Butcher, 2020 NSCA 50
...and the offender’s post-offence conduct. Despite some mitigating factors, parole ineligibility of 12 years was warranted. R. v. Florence, 2015 BCCA 414. A judge convicted the 45-year-old offender of the second degree murder of her husband of 15 years. The trial judge imposed a 12-year perio......
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R. v. J.P., 2018 SKQB 96
...function belongs to the judge. [75] Similar thoughts were expressed in the subsequent decision of the same court in R v Florence, 2015 BCCA 414, 377 BCAC 194) aff’g 2013 BCSC 194 [Florence]. [76] As a further consideration of Gladue factors, defence counsel commended the court’s attention t......
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R. v. Parent,
...production of evidence that would assist it in determining the appropriate sentence: R. v. D.G., 2014 BCCA 84 at para 10; R. v. Florence, 2015 BCCA 414 at para 20. S.723(3), is on its face confers a very broad power to the sentencing judge. But care must be exercised in its use. The section......
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2023 BCSC 925,
...balanced and objective and refrain from advancing personal opinions: R. v. Lawson, 2012 BCCA 508 at paras. 25–33; R. v. Florence, 2015 BCCA 414 at para. 20. Inclusion of such impermissible and irrelevant views by a Gladue report writer has the potential to taint the entire 25 In any ......
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IPEELEE AND THE DUTY TO RESIST.
...BCSC 2321, 2013 CarswellBC 3884; R v L(DRM), 2012 BCPC 184, 2012 CarswellBC 2215; R v Florence, 2013 BCSC 194, 2013 CarswellBC 298, affd 2015 BCCA 414,2015 CarswellBC 2822; R vL(KL), 2012 BCPC 273,2012 CarswellBC 2430; R v Lawson, 2012 BCCA 508, 2012 CarswellBC 3956, 294 CCC (3d) 369; R v L......
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Digest: R v J.P., 2018 SKQB 96
...345 Sask R 95 R v Chanalquay, 2015 SKCA 141, [2016] 4 WWR 242, 472 Sask R 110 R v Delorme, 2017 SKCA 3, 136 WCB (2d) 115 R v Florence, 2015 BCCA 414, 377 BCAC 194 R v Gladue, [1999] 1 SCR 688, 238 NR 1, 171 DLR (4th) 385, 121 BCAC 161, 133 CCC (3d) 385, 23 CR (5th) 197, 2 CNLR 252 R v Gray,......
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...345 Sask R 95 R v Chanalquay, 2015 SKCA 141, [2016] 4 WWR 242, 472 Sask R 110 R v Delorme, 2017 SKCA 3, 136 WCB (2d) 115 R v Florence, 2015 BCCA 414, 377 BCAC 194 R v Gladue, [1999] 1 SCR 688, 238 NR 1, 171 DLR (4th) 385, 121 BCAC 161, 133 CCC (3d) 385, 23 CR (5th) 197, 2 CNLR 252 R v Gray,......
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