Months after Freedom Convoy was kicked off the streets of Ottawa, some of its leaders remain behind bars with no end in sight, and an expert says they will likely be serving more time in jail awaiting trial than not if they are condemned.
Pat King, one of the leaders of the convoy, remains in prison 113 days after being arrested for his role in the protest that took over more than a month in the streets of downtown Ottawa.
King is co-accused with Tyson George Billings, who was arrested on similar charges the weekend police cleared protesters.
Often seen alongside King, Billings is known to his fans as “Freedom George” and gained notoriety during the February protests for his booming “Let’s Go!” and “Freedom!”
Billings has been behind bars for 112 days.
Both are still being denied bail.
Police have never revealed a full list of those arrested and charged after the Freedom Convoy, but at least a handful of lesser-known people involved remain in jail.
According to a legal expert, King and Billings have probably already served more time in jail awaiting trial than they will if convicted and convicted.
“We are already approaching a pre-trial detention period beyond the possible punishment,” said Joao Velloso, a law professor at the University of Ottawa.
Others detained during the protest, such as Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, are awaiting trial on bail. However, they are active on social media promoting adjacent movements, including election campaigns and future protests.
The king “very beaten” in prison
A pastor who tries to visit King regularly in prison at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Center questions the length of time he has been imprisoned.
“He’s pretty downcast,” says Melissa McKee, pastor of the Ottawa capital’s Bikers Church, which offered sanctuary space during its regular hours to protesters during the Freedom Convoy.
King continues to be frustrated by the justice system: he went through a series of lawyers before hiring his current representative, Natasha Calvinho, but continues to face charges of ailment, counseling for wrongdoing, counseling for the crime of disobedience a court order, and counseling to obstruct the police.
In the midst of an April bail review hearing, King was charged with obstructing justice and perjury.
All evidence presented in the bail review is still subject to a publication ban, which is often requested and granted to prevent potential jurors from being harmed before the trial.
Supporters question the justice of the arrest
Fans regularly search for the latest information about King, and many continue to see him as a motivating figure in the Freedom Convoy and the ongoing movement that inspired him.
Mckee says, no matter what people think of him, being in jail for so long is not fair.
“I’m not measuring Pat against Tamara or Chris Barber, I’m measuring what he did, what did he do? He made live Facebook videos gathering people, I knew this was a possibility that he could be arrested, but [113] days? “
Mckee says she regularly ministers to people who need what she calls “heart care” or “spiritual care.”
“I’m literally doing the same thing with Pat King that I would do for anyone knocking on our door,” he said, adding that God has made a call in his life to help broken people.
Earlier this month, after King spent more than 100 days in prison, a group advocating on his behalf launched a campaign to write letters asking people to send him notes of support in prison.
“After more than 100 days in prison being mentally exhausted, Pat King is being pressured into accepting a gag order to silence his voice when he is released. Send letters of support to Pat King at the following address, encouraging- Hold the Line! ” wrote David Paisley, who runs the popular social networking channel “Live from the Shed.”
Billings supporters continue to solicit funds for him by raising funds online; in late May, a post on his Facebook page, allegedly run by his daughter, said Billings needed repairs to his “Freedom truck” and suggested his release would come soon. .
“Any small amount helps. Thank you all for all you have done and continue to do for Freedom George, thank you all for the letters and support you have all given you. I love you so much,” read part of this post. . .
Billings’ legal counsel did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Most adults in jail awaiting trial, sentence
Law expert Velloso points out that about 80 percent of the prison population is in a situation similar to King’s: waiting for a case to be resolved in a month, or even a week, because people have already served any potential sentence that would eventually be possible. be given to them.
According to Statistics Canada, since 2004, the average number of adults awaiting trial or sentencing in provincial services is higher than the average number of adults sentenced to custody; in recent years, it is about 70 percent more.
In Ontario and most provinces, more than half of those in prison are waiting to be tried or convicted.
“For King … he will be in pretrial detention for a while, and if we look at the general trends in criminal punishment in Canada, he has probably already served his sentence,” Velloso said.