R. v. X., (2014) 353 N.S.R.(2d) 130 (YC)

• Judge: Derrick, P.C.J.
• Case Date: November 21, 2014
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (2014), 353 N.S.R.(2d) 130 (YC);2014 NSPC 95

R. v. X. (2014), 353 N.S.R.(2d) 130 (YC);

    1115 A.P.R. 130

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2014] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. NO.039

Her Majesty the Queen v. "X"

(2588522; 2588523; 2588527; 2588528; 2014 NSPC 95)

Indexed As: R. v. X.

Nova Scotia Youth Justice Court

Derrick, P.C.J.

November 21, 2014.

Summary:

In April 2013, the 16 year old youth shot his 15 year old cousin in the abdomen with a hunting rifle. In a judgment reported [2013] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 305, the youth was convicted of attempted murder, using a firearm while committing an indictable offence, possession of a firearm for which he did not have a registration certificate, and possession of a firearm knowing that he did not hold a licence or registration certificate. The Crown applied under ss. 71 and 72 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act to have the youth sentenced to an adult sentence. The Crown sought life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for seven years. The youth argued that he should be sentenced as a young person, for which the maximum sentence for attempted murder was a custody and supervision order not exceeding three years (two years' custody at a youth facility and one year supervised in the community).

The Nova Scotia Youth Justice Court held that a three year custody and supervision order under the Act, following a 19 month period in pretrial custody, was of sufficient length to hold the youth accountable. The court sentenced the youth to a three year custody and supervision order for attempted murder, a concurrent three year custody and supervision order for using a firearm while committing an indictable offence and concurrent 90 day custody and supervision orders for the remaining two weapons offences.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by a publication ban under s. 486(4) of the Criminal Code and Maritime Law Book's editorial policy.

Criminal Law - Topic 5881

Sentence - Murder (incl. attempts) - [See first Criminal Law - Topic 8817.8 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 8817.8

Young offenders - Decisions (incl. punishments) - Adult sentence - In April 2013, a 16 year old African-Canadian youth from a black community rife with drugs and gun violence shot his 15 year old cousin in the abdomen with an unregistered rifle - He was convicted of, inter alia, attempted murder - The Crown applied to have the youth sentenced as an adult and sentenced to life imprisonment - Section 72(1) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) mandated an adult sentence if the Crown rebutted the presumption of diminished moral blameworthiness or culpability of the youth and a youth sentence would not be of sufficient length to hold the youth accountable - The Nova Scotia Youth Justice Court sentenced the youth under the YCJA to the maximum three year custody and supervision order - The youth had a criminal record, including offences of violence - He spent 19 months on remand pending sentencing - The youth, although portraying a gangster image and exaggerating his criminal behaviour, was a vulnerable, immature youth who refused voluntary counselling and treatment, but had not yet had the advantage of the mandatory treatment and programs in a youth facility - An adult sentence would destroy any chance of rehabilitation - The Crown failed to discharge the presumption of diminished moral blameworthiness - The three year custody and supervision order, combined with the 19 months already spent on remand in a youth facility, was of sufficient length to hold the youth accountable.

Criminal Law - Topic 8817.8

Young offenders - Decisions (incl. punishments) - Adult sentence - A 16 year old African-Canadian youth from a black community rife with drugs and gun violence was convicted of, inter alia, attempted murder for shooting his 15 year old cousin in the abdomen with a rifle - The Crown applied to have the youth sentenced as an adult - The Nova Scotia Youth Justice Court discussed the relevance of race and culture in determining whether to sentence the youth under the Youth Criminal Justice Act or as an adult - The court noted that persons of African descent, like aboriginal Canadians, were over-represented in prisons and jails and that the underlying reasons for such over-representation included poverty, substance abuse, lack of education, lack of employment opportunities and dysfunctional communities - See paragraphs 194 to 198.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. C.M. (2013), 549 A.R. 330 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 7, footnote 4].

R. v. Bagshaw - see R. v. D.J.B.

R. v. D.J.B., [2009] O.T.C. Uned. N84 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 20, footnote 16].

R. v. D.B. (2008), 374 N.R. 221; 237 O.A.C. 110 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 22, footnote 17].

R. v. A.O. et al. (2007), 222 O.A.C. 38 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24, footnote 20].

R. v. Smith (G.D.) - see R. v. G.D.S.

R. v. G.D.S. (2009), 274 N.S.R.(2d) 200; 874 A.P.R. 200 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 25, footnote 21].

R. v. Ferriman, [2006] O.J. No. 3950 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 25, footnote 22].

R. v. Lights, [2007] O.J. No. 1516 (C.J.), refd to. [para. 28, footnote 26].

R. v. B.W.P.; R. v. B.V.N. (2006), 350 N.R. 1; 227 B.C.A.C. 1; 374 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 28, footnote 27].

R. v. C.A.M. (1996), 194 N.R. 321; 73 B.C.A.C. 81; 120 W.A.C. 81 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 29, footnote 28].

R. v. Smith (M.) (2010), 293 N.S.R.(2d) 341; 928 A.P.R. 341 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 32, footnote 30].

R. v. J.S.-R., [2009] O.T.C. Uned. 966 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 33, footnote 31].

R. v. Bryan (A.C.) (2008), 272 N.S.R.(2d) 246; 869 A.P.R. 246 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 35, footnote 32].

R. v. Logan, Logan and Johnson (1990), 112 N.R. 144; 41 O.A.C. 330, refd to. [para. 35, footnote 33].

R. v. Nygaard and Schimmens (1989), 101 N.R. 108; 102 A.R. 186 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 42, footnote 41].

R. v. Mohan (1994), 166 N.R. 245; 71 O.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 176, footnote 169].

R. v. Marquard (D.) (1993), 159 N.R. 81; 66 O.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 176, footnote 170].

R. v. Q.B. - see R. v. Borde (Q.).

R. v. Borde (Q.) (2003), 168 O.A.C. 317 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 184, footnote 173].

R. v. Skeete (M.) - see R. v. M.S.

R. v. M.S. (2013), 325 N.S.R.(2d) 322; 1031 A.P.R. 322 (Yth. Ct.), refd to. [para. 202, footnote 179].

R. v. J.R.L. (2007), 254 N.S.R.(2d) 344; 810 A.P.R. 344 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 202, footnote 180].

R. v. T.P.D. (2009), 284 N.S.R.(2d) 19; 901 A.P.R. 19 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 205].

R. v. A.J.D. (2009), 275 N.S.R.(2d) 308; 877 A.P.R. 308 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 205].

R. v. M.C.S., [2010] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 58 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 244, footnote 188].

R. v. B.C.F. (2008), 326 Sask.R. 77 (Prov. Ct.), varied (2009), 343 Sask.R. 57; 472 W.A.C. 57 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 251, footnote 195].

R. v. Knelsen, [2013] O.J. No. 1402 (C.J.), refd to. [para. 251, footnote 195].

R. v. Quintana (E.), [2008] B.C.J. No. 212 (Prov. Ct.), varied (2009), 268 B.C.A.C. 159; 452 W.A.C. 159 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 251, footnote 195].

R. v. N.H. (2009), 280 N.S.R.(2d) 148; 891 A.P.R. 148 (Yth. Ct.), refd to. [para. 251, footnote 195].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Borde and Hamilton, Facing the Uncomfortable Truth About Inequality, Discrimination and General Deterrence (2003), 8 C.R.(6th) 289, p. 296 [para. 196, footnote 176].

Canada, Corrections Canada, Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator 2012-2013, A Case Study of Diversity in Corrections: The Black Inmate Experience in Federal Penitentiaries, pp. 8 [para. 170, footnotes 163, 164]; 12 [paras. 257 to 259, footnotes 202, 203, 204]; 13 [para. 256, footnote 201].

Counsel:

Terry Nickerson, for the Crown;

Christa Thompson, for "X".

This matter was heard on September 30 and October 1-3, 14 and 31, 2014, at Halifax, N.S., before Derrick, P.C.J., of the Nova Scotia Youth Justice Court, who delivered the following judgment on November 21, 2014.