Leo Teskey has been declared a dangerous offender and will hopefully spend the rest of his life behind bars. He is 40. He had 37 prior convictions before his vicious attack on Dougald Miller in 2000. His convictions include an attack on a two year old boy and the shooting of a police officer in the head. I don’t know where these two particular offenses fall in the list of 37.
He had originally been declared a dangerous offender in 2005, but the Supreme Court of Canada reversed that ruling in 2007. Why? The judge had taken eleven months to write his decision, too long according to the Supreme Court. I can only assume that the judge did not realize he was in a race. By 2005, Teskey had a total of 38 convictions, almost one for every year of his life. But his inability to perform as a normal person in society did not seem to matter to the Supreme Court. A tardy report was more important.
What can we deduce from this legal case? Well, for one, in Canada, the threshold for becoming a dangerous offender is 38 convictions, including shooting a policeman. Not 37 offenses – 38. For another, all you judges out there make sure you write your verdict in under eleven months. For goodness sake, do not ponder your decision, but write with haste to ensure a timely sentencing of the guilty.
Why does it take 38 offenses? Did the justice system figure Teskey was just having a few bad days? That he would see the light and become a good person after, say, a dozen convictions, two dozen? Three dozen!! Does the word “unbelievable” come to mind when reading about this guy? I don’t mean that he’s unbelievable, it’s the Supreme Court that is unbelievable. Our justice system was created to protect citizens. For the 40 years of Teskey’s life it failed miserably. How many lives were affected? How many lives were changed forever? We all know the answer is too many. Why does it take the justice system so long to see what every one of those victims saw the instant they crossed paths with Teskey?
It is truly unfortunate that our Supreme Court Justices are not elected in Canada.
To all those families and their friends and relatives who have suffered needlessly because of Teskey’s, I am truly sorry that the Canadian justice system failed you all so spectacularly. And to Leo Teskey, may you slowly rot to death in your prison cell.
