~

Lawyer
attacks
police

tactics

From page 1

intimidating a juror)” he
asked.

“No sir,” Fitzpatrick
replied. “However, we (the
RCMP) did file a report to
the Crown to do so.”

After grilling the officer
on the police’s tactics, and
how information is gathered,
Ritchic.. segued into the
RCMP's use of “room bugs”
and phone wire rapping.

“You’re not subjected to
people like me questioning
you to see if your information
is correct,” he said to the offi-
cer. “You used wire taps and
what are commonly known zs
“room bugs,” isn’t that cor-
rect?”

“Yes sir, that’s correct,”
Fitzpatrick said.

“I don’t want to get into

that today, since you’re com-
ing back at another time,” -

Ritchie said. “I know you're

coming back, but I want the _

jury to understand how the
police obtain search warrants
to search into our private lives
and our homes.”

Rinn, who was the head
investigator in the Guess case,

explained how. the. police.

obtained Gill’s diary in a raid
on his home. The RCMP had
obtained a search warrant to
do so, and were also granted
permission to conduct sur-
veillance of Guess and Gill.
Again, Ritchie hit a fiery
Note, painting an unpleasant
caricature of: the Mounties’
investigative work. ;

_ “The Special “O” unit, (a
unit used by the RCMP in
Guess’ case) is RCMP lingo
to describe civilian members
of. the RCMP who spy on
people for a living,” he told
the jury. *

Turning to Rinn, he
asked, “They use radios, and

. technology to watch the corm-

ings and goings of pcople ...
isn’t that correct sergeant?”

“Surveillance is a part of
their job,” Rinn responded.
“That is correct sir.”

“They also try to get close
enough to people ‘to hear
their ‘conversations too .... is
that - correct’ . sergeant,”
Ritchie demanded.

“Yes sir,” Rinn answered.

Ritchie continued to
expose the little-known sur-

veillance tactics of che RCMP, .

all in an unfavorabie light.

“The Crown:.said. we're
going to hear about wire taps,
upwards of 15,000 hours of
recorded calls,” he told the
court. “The RCMP placed
room bugs in Mr. Gill's
home, in Ms. Guess’ home,
and even in her sister Vanessa
Brian’s home. All this was
done at a time when those
individuals were not around.”

As the Crown prosecutors
sat idle, Ritchie continued to
discredit the Special O unit of
the RCMP.

When Ritchie asked how
many Special O members

“were assigned to the Guess

case, Rinn drew a_ blank.
When farther pressed if Rinn
actually sat and chatted with
any members of the Special O
tusit, aside from the constable
its charge of the division, Rinn

osaid, “No.”

The , trial. zesumes on
Tuesday morning.

i

2 — Sunday, Mey 17, 1998 — N-:in Shore News

e you shoul
make a reservation.

| Fresh Bread Garden foods now delivered daily to
} ~~ Chevron Town Pantrys in North Vancouver.

The Chevron Town Pantrys in North Vancouver are now offering a host of delectable Bread Garden
creations. Sandwiches tike the scrumptious “Black Forest Ham & Swiss Cheese on French Baguette” and
the memorable “Smoked Turkey on Cranberry Sourdough Bread” are delivered fresh daily, as ‘are Bread
Garden fresh daily baked muffins, scones and those patent pending cinnamon knots. (Great with a fresh,
het cup of our Arabica coffee, by the way.) But den’t worry, you won't need a reservation to get in. -

Just tell the maitre’d at the door that you're a friend of ours. T; — p t a