B.C.'s formerly most senior officer of the legislature to be sentenced in spending scandal
CTV
A case the prosecution says may impact the public's trust in government is drawing to a close, with the man at the centre of a B.C. spending scandal about to be sentenced.
A case the prosecution says may impact the public's trust in government is drawing to a close, with the man at the centre of a B.C. spending scandal about to be sentenced.
Craig James, the former clerk of the legislature, is expected to learn his fate in a Vancouver courtroom Friday morning.
Earlier this week, Crown counsel told the court it sought a conditional sentence – a jail sentence served at home instead of behind bars – of about a year for Craig James. Its argument is that the sentence would serve as a "deterrent" for future officials entrusted to the public.
The Crown suggested Monday that the majority of that sentence could be served under house arrest, and the rest would be under a curfew. It’s also seeking a $1,886.72 restitution order.
Crown attorney Brock Martland said the conduct of the now-71-year-old was a "departure" by the most senior officer of the legislature, and that there are "real risks of undermining public confidence" tied to the case.
He said the sentence could increase public cynicism about the institutions of government, if it was viewed as being too light, and he noted that James did not plead guilty, unlike what is often seen in cases where conditional sentences are granted.
Despite a lack of plea, the defence called for a conditional discharge, with lawyer Gavin Cameron arguing incarceration would be a "disproportionate response" to the conviction.
