• Home
  • About
    • About Christopher di Armani
    • Disclosure Statement
    • Code of Ethics
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Gun Laws 101
  • FPO Violators
  • Store
  • Donate
  • Hire Me

Christopher di Armani.com

In Praise of Individual Rights and Freedoms

  • Top 25
  • Big Brother
    • Access To Information
    • Bureaucratic Incompetence
    • Bureaucrat’s Rule #1
    • Censorship
    • Feeding at the Government Trough
    • Lemonade Freedom
  • Common Sense
    • Expressions of Gratitude
    • Good Samaritans
    • Good Stuff
    • In Memoriam — Remembering our Heros
    • Life
    • Personal Responsibility
    • Politically Correct Madness
  • Courts
    • Abusive Prosecutions
    • Civil Forfeiture
    • Human Rights Tribunals
    • Judicial Corruption
    • Justice Denied
    • Justice System Abuses
    • Police Sentencing Double-Standards
    • Prosecutorial Misconduct
    • SLAPP Lawsuits
  • Crime
    • Abuse of Trust
    • Canadian Mass Murders
    • Firearm Prohibition Orders
    • Human Depravity
    • Immigration Issues
    • Racism
    • Restraining Orders
    • Sexual Predators
    • Violent Criminals
    • Wrongful Convictions
  • Guns
    • Concealed Carry
    • Dial 9-1-1 and Die
    • Firearms Act
    • Fun Gun Stuff
    • Gun Control
    • Gun-Free Zones
    • Gun Politics
    • Gun Registration
    • Negligent Discharges
    • Target Shooting Competitions
  • Islam
    • Canadian Islamic Disgraces
    • Islamic Terrorism
    • Radical Islam
    • Sharia Law
    • The Religion Of Peace
  • Police
    • Abuse of Police Authority
    • Filming Police
    • Great Police Officers
    • Officer Down
    • Police Brutality
    • Police Corruption
    • Police Misconduct
    • RCMP Accountability
    • RCMP Hall of Shame
    • Warrantless Searches
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Ethics in Politics
    • Political Antics
    • Political Corruption
    • Social Justice
    • Stupid Human Tricks
    • Union Bay Improvement District
  • Rights
    • Charter of Rights and Freedoms
    • Constitutional Violations
    • Freedom of Assembly
    • Freedom of Religion
    • Freedom of Speech
    • Property Rights
    • Privacy Rights
    • Self-Defense
    • Unreasonable Search and Seizure

Lawrence Manzer case ends abruptly in a mistrial

Published July 15, 2011 by Christopher di Armani Filed Under: Abusive Prosecutions, Lawrence Manzer Case


What a bizarre end to a case that everyone, me included, expected would tell us just how far the government thinks we are allowed to go in protecting ourselves, our homes, our families and our neighbours.

I had a long talk with Laurie Manzer yesterday afternoon, once he returned home from court.  While he is greatly disappointed that the case did not give us a clearer idea of what the government considers reasonable when protecting ourselves and our neighbours, he is also greatly relieved that the huge weight hanging over his head for the past year is finally gone.

(news video from Burton TV below)

Because Crown Prosecutor Paul Hawkins chose to charge Lawrence Manzer as a summary offence, keeping a jury out of the picture, there were certain rules and timelines in place.  Adding to the complication was the fact that Hawkins dropped the initial charge against Manzer, then 7 months or so after the “incident” decided to re-charge him with a separate offense.

A summary charge must be placed within 6 months.  In Manzer’s case, that didn’t happen on the second charge.  Judge Andrew LeMesurier ruled that since there was no agreement by Mr. Manzer to allow the time extension, his Charter Rights had been violated and he declared a mistrial.

“I declare a mistrial,” LeMesurier said as Manzer’s supporters clapped and cheered loudly. “Mr. Manzer, you are free to go.”

Reaction to that announcement was swift as the supporters inside the courtroom cheered.  That’s hardly a surprise, since practically nobody in New Brunswick felt Lawrence Manzer should have been charged in the first place.

Reaction to Shawn Berry’s writeup of the events in The Daily Gleaner were also very positive of Manzer and his actions.

I agree with those in this story who said they would have liked to see this trial come to an end with a clear definition of how a homeowner is allowed to protect his home and family. But I also agree that Mr. Manzer needed this break (the technicality) because there are just too many liberal-leaning judges who do not like guns at all and would have somehow construed the law to mean what they want.   — C. Johnson, Moncton

I myself would have liked to see how the whole thing turned out, but I think that maybe the law stepped a bit out of it’s bounds and went a little overboard in this case deliberately having the trial set for a year later knowing it would be thrown out, keeping it under raps, only certain people knew and in the meantime Mr. Manzer had the sleepless nights wondering what would happen if found guilty.  — citytec F’ton, fredericton

There is no question that Prosecution, law enforcement and most certainly the judge did not want to decide this man’s fate. This case grabbed a lot of attention Nationwide and I’m pretty sure that law makers were not ready for this. So, Mr. Manzer’s mission is still unanswered. What is a property owners rights? Are we allowed to defend ourselves?

There will also be a lot of “Red Tape” before Mr. Manzer can get his firearms back. Suggestion, wait thirty days before approaching proper channels in getting them back.

I’d like to thank Manzer for opening up a lot of eyes in this country. Thanks for getting the ball rolling…  — Richard McGivney, Fredericton

 

All the money wasted hunting this man because he walked his private property down the road one night. Nothing better than an activist leftist justice system vendetta and they could not even get the paper work right. No wonder we live in a Hug-a-Thug society. Whoever mucked up the paperwork should be charged the full cost of the trial.  — W S, Oromocto

 

In the end, nothing was resolved.  Lawrence Manzer goes home, will get his firearms back, and life will go on.  It will take some other poor Canadian going through the wringer before we get an answer to the question this judge wasn’t interested in rendering.

 

 

Author

  • Christopher di Armani
    Christopher di Armani

    Christopher di Armani is a freedom-loving Amazon bestselling author and current events commentator from Lytton, BC, Canada, who strives to awaken the passion for liberty inside every human being.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Tags: Crown Prosecutor Paul Hawkins, lawrence manzer case dismissed, weapon dangerous to public peace

Did you find value in this article?

If you found this article useful or it contained valuable information and you want to thank me, the best way is to buy me a coffee or two.

1. Send an Interac eTransfer to author @ christopherdiarmani.net (remove spaces)

2. Send via PayPal using this link: https://www.paypal.me/ThatLibertyGuy

3. Use your credit card in my online store to support me with a one-time donation, a monthly recurring donation, or an annual donation. See these links for all the details about the thank-you gifts I offer my supporters.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to my commentaries

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Latest Tweets

Follow @ThatLibertyGuy

Christopher di Armani 🇨🇦 🇺🇸
@ThatLibertyGuy

  • New comment: Paul Rogan Passes: The End of an Era christopherdiarmani.com/18908/common-s…
    about 12 hours ago
    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • To restore common sense to our nation, this is the path. The political left works around the clock and around the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
    about 17 hours ago
    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • New comment: Canadian Gun Laws: A Primer for People Who Don’t Know Much About Gun Laws christopherdiarmani.com/15213/guns/can…
    about 3 weeks ago
    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • New comment: Blake Harvey’s Murder Proves We Don’t Value Children’s Lives christopherdiarmani.com/17398/police/g…
    about 3 weeks ago
    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • New comment: All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing christopherdiarmani.com/8275/human-rig…
    about 3 weeks ago
    Reply Retweet Favorite

Most Popular This Week

  • All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing
  • How did Live-Streaming Rape Become a ‘Thing’?
  • Yvon Mercier: From RCMP Depot Trainer to Double-Murderer
  • OPP Sergeant Jamie Gillespie Pleads Guilty to attempting to intercept private communications
  • Officer Down: LAPD Officer Fernando Arroyos
  • Why the Flood of Firearm Registration Certificates in My Mailbox?
  • OPP Sgt. Mike Dolderman’s Sexual Assault Trial Delayed Again

Most Popular This Month

  • All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing
  • How did Live-Streaming Rape Become a ‘Thing’?
  • Yvon Mercier: From RCMP Depot Trainer to Double-Murderer
  • Dale Merle Nelson’s 1970 Murder Spree in Creston, British Columbia
  • RCMP Sergeant Douglas Smith appeals conditional discharge for illegal handgun
  • Florida Police arrest a 12-year-old for farting. Have they lost their minds?
  • Why the Flood of Firearm Registration Certificates in My Mailbox?

© 2004–2023 ChristopherDiArmani.com | All Rights Reserved

Close

Buy me a cup of coffee

A ridiculous amount of coffee was consumed in the process of writing these articles. If you enjoy my work, please buy me a coffee or two to keep me going!