Judge's decision may have police rethinking strategy
Katie Mercer
BY STAFF REPORTER, THE PROVINCE
MARCH 14, 2010
Mounties were dealt a major blow Friday when two Hells Angels
received lenient sentences -- but while the bikers may be celebrating,
the convictions are a black eye for the motorcycle club, according
to a Hells Angels expert.
"There's nothing the Hells Angels fear more than being
labelled a criminal organization," says investigative journalist
Julian Sher. "They are willing to plead guilty to any charges
to avoid that."
Sher, co-author of Angels of Death, said the case's outcome
may see B.C. police focusing on "smaller, more manageable
cases" rather than large operations with sweeping arrests.
"It's clear that police are frustrated with the unwillingness
or the difficulty in proving their case," said Sher.
But Sher stressed that Leask's repeated refusals to find that
crimes were committed for a criminal organization will not set
a precedent.
"Even in Quebec and Ontario, where they've been proven
to be a criminal organization, they still have to prove it again
and again," he said.
With charges continuing to be laid against Hells Angels without
repercussions from the club, it's only a matter of time before
the B.C. justice system sees eye to eye with the public, said
Sher.
"The RCMP may have lost in the court of law, but they
won in the court of public opinion," he said.
