Last Saturday, while walking hand-in-hand with his male friend, 27-year old Jordan Smith was attacked by four men. The men yelled anti-gay obscenities as the wailed on Smith, who now needs jaw surgery.
Only one of the alleged attackers, Michael Kandola, has been arrested and faced a judge yesterday.
Despite the facts at hand – apparent anti-gay violence – Kandola’s lawyer insists his client was not motivated by hate, a motivation that brings harsher sentencing. It’s the police, says the lawyer, who are to blame:
…Lawyer Danny Markovitz said police prejudged the case.
“When the police investigate themselves they always ask people to keep an open mind, but in this case they are coming to rash judgments without any of the details coming before the court or the accused,” said Markovitz.
Const. Tim Fanning defended the police’s handling of the case. “All we’ve done is state the facts of the case,” he said. “Given the facts that we’ve gathered thus far, we believe that the hate crime legislation will be appropriate if he is convicted.”
Kandola currently faces common assault charges, but they could be raised if a medical examiner finds Smith’s injuries to be more severe.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
marc
This is right where I live, in Vancouver.
I must say that hearing this things lawyer speak on the news last night made my skin crawl.
How can there be not hate?
Him and his creepy friends saw some guys they thought were gay, calling out the names we all have heard and started beating on them!
Let’s see an EXAMPLE made out of this asshole!
The gay community IS crying out for it, my voice is added!
seitan-on-a-stick
Thanks Marc, it was beginning to resemble “Where in the World in Matt Lauer?” with Queerty’s Crystal-infused editing which omit relevance. So, is the guy walking the perp or the victim of the Hate Crime? Inquiring bloggers want to know the facts!!
seitan-on-a-stick
IS instead of IN
andy_d
If one of the vics should, G-d forbid, die, the defense tactic would bring a fightening new meaning to the term “I love you to death.” The perps deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law if found guilty.
michael
I live in Vancouver and only about 5 blocks from where this assault
occurred. This area is near Granville St. and on the weekends its party central. The gay village is just a few blocks in the other direction. There have been a lot of complaints by leaders in Vancouver’s gay community that the police ignore the gay village
and focus on the Granville area, which is more of where straight
people party. I am glad that the police called this for what it is, a hate crime. As far as his sleazy attorney goes, he’s just doing what sleazy attorneys do, his job.
Marc
The Granville “club” area is complete and utter chaos on weekends!
I have never witnessed young people being so out-of-it and rude and obnoxious to everyone and thing around them. I don’t know how many are from Vancouver and how many from “the burbs”, but it is a really disgusting display if you ever did see.
There were witnesses to the verbal assualt before the beating started.
I don’t know where his lawyer (RAT) gets off, I really, really don’t.
Anyone wanting more facts should check out
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=bb50f936-05df-4365-a53b-4c48b1104374
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=c8585fc3-b8af-4d0a-8280-e80bff7d48da
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/09/29/bc-gay-bashing-community-court.html?ref=rss
Marc
I did not post that 3 times, sorry.
Marc
The basher’s rat lawyer can be reached at
[email protected]
Marc
http://messagesfromearth.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/meet-vancouvers-gay-bashing-wuss/
Phoenix (The Angry Millitant Nelly Stoking the Fires of Change)
The picture is of Michael Kandola, the perp walking out of court.
http://seaqwa.com/blogs/qnews/archive/2008/09/29/vancouver-gay-bashing-to-be-tried-as-hate-crime.aspx
Night
[email protected]
I e-mailed him… all of you should do the same … I called him a f*cker … a donkey raping uncle f*cker…
fredo777
What a bastard.
diana
Re: Danny Markovitz – The guy is a criminal lawyer and has to represent these cases – it’s his job. Maybe you should email the jerk responsible for the attack?
Night
“The guy is a criminal lawyer and has to represent these cases – it’s his job.”
Danny Markovitz is a filthy Jew ass parasitic douche bag. He is as much your enemy as Kandola is.
Wake the fuck up OK?
Night
Look at Kandola, I wonder if the brown fuck has gay inclinations.
It would not surprise me that he secretly loves the cack.
fredo777
“Filthy Jew”…”brown fuck”?
Uncool.
LindaC
There were witnesses to the verbal assualt before the beating started. I don’t know where his lawyer (RAT) gets off, I really, really don’t.
LindaC
http://theperezfirm.com/pages/practice_dui.htm