“I would’ve been hugely disappointed if I would’ve been found not guilty of living my religion,” said Blackmore. Outside court, Blackmore said he was never willing to deny his religious beliefs no matter the outcome. Other evidence included marriage records seized by Texas law enforcement during a raid on an FLDS compound in 2008, while statements Blackmore and Oler made to authorities in separate police investigations were also admitted. The polygamy charges stem from the polygamous activities of Bountiful, which is associated with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), a breakaway group from the mainstream Latter Day Saints church that practice plural marriages as a way to obtain the highest order of celestial glory.ĭonegan’s guilty rulings came after her analysis of evidence submitted by Wilson, who relied on testimony from Jane Blackmore, Winston’s first legal wife who divorced her former husband and left the community in 2003. They’re not in the nature of an appeal at this stage, they deal with evidentiary elements that arose during the course of the trial.” Oler, but there will be a constitutional aspect to it, or a charter challenge, along with a common law challenge. “It’s our understanding that there are essentially two broad areas of challenge,” said McLaughlin, ”and I don’t profess to speak on behalf of either counsel for Mr. Suffredine indicated he wished to make Charter arguments, while Oler indicated he wishes to make common-law submissions. It’s up to Suffredine and Oler to decide how to argue their respective cases moving forward. “This is simply one more step in what has been a fairly involved criminal process.” “The court has not, however, entered convictions at this stage,” McLaughlin said. 21 to arrange a date to make the constitutional arguments.ĭan McLaughlin, communications counsel for the Criminal Justice Branch, said the verdicts are a result of the crown proving it’s case against Blackmore and Oler beyond a reasonable doubt. Lawyers will reconvene by telephone on Aug. Blackmore’s indictment included practicing polygamy with 24 women, while Oler was charged with practicing polygamy with four women, however, one addition was made during the course of the trial, bringing the total to five women. The two men, who are associated with the polygamous community of Bountiful near Creston in the southeastern corner of BC, have not yet been convicted as the legal proceedings move to constitutional arguments initiated by Blackmore’s lawyer, Blair Suffredine.īlackmore and Oler each faced one count of polygamy after charges were approved by special prosecutor Peter Wilson in 2014. READ: Prosecution, defence spar over sentencing for B.C.Winston Blackmore and James Oler were found guilty of practicing polygamy in Cranbrook Supreme Court on Monday, in a ruling from Justice Sheri Donegan. He was recently convicted of practicing polygamy with 24 women and sentenced to six months of house arrest and one year of probation in Cranbrook Supreme Court last June.ĭuring the sentencing hearing, Blackmore’s lawyer told the court his client was nearly bankrupt, while arguing the hardship his family and community would experience if he was imprisioned. Sundstrom estimates bids will be accepted over the next 30 days, barring any mutually-agreeable resolution between Blackmore and his creditor.īlackmore, the leader of a Mormon fundamentalist sect south of Creston, has been involved in numerous legal proceedings over the last 30 years. “There are a lot of moving parts to this.” “…So the successful bidder would own the shares and everything that goes along with it, so if there’s people on the properties that are owned by the companies, they may have to go, maybe they can stay these are unknowns that would have to be worked out post-sale. “Each one of those companies owns property in the Creston area,” said Michael Sundstrom, a bailiff with North Central Bailiffs Ltd. polygamous leaders sentenced to house arrest The shares are valued at $280,000 for Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc., while the estimated value for Blackmore Farms Ltd. North Central Bailiffs is auctioning off the shares on behalf of the judgement creditor. are up for auction, according to a classified advertisment in the Calgary Herald. One hundred per cent of shares owned by Winston Blackmore in both Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) INC. Shares in two companies owned by a Creston-area man convicted of polygamy are up on the auction block.
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