Deterrent sentence possible, expert says, after trio convicted in connection to Coutts border blockade
Three men who helped lead and co-ordinate the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., have been found guilty of public mischief.
A Lethbridge jury wasted no time delivering the verdict in front of a crowd of the men's supporters.
In 2022, during a protest over COVID restrictions, Gerhard (George) Janzen told CTV News cameras he was prepared to sacrifice a lot for the Coutts movement.
"I'm ready to go to jail for what's right. I'm ready for it," he said at the time.
Two years later and 100 kilometres down the road, jail time is a very real possibility.
Janzen, Alex Van Herk and Marco Van Huigenbos have been found guilty of mischief over $5,000.
Three hours is all it took for a jury to come to the decision, which was met with gasps of surprise by a courtroom full of protest supporters.
"I may be guilty, but I'm not gone," Van Huigenbos said.
"We were there to hold government accountable. The accountability fight goes on. It's never done."
Van Herk in a statement thanked the jury for fulfilling their oaths.
"We'll see how that plays out in terms of other cases down the road when people want to protest against certain government decisions," said Trevor Harrison, University of Lethbridge political scientist.
The maximum sentence for public mischief over $5,000 is 10 years in prison, and some predict a deterrent sentence could be handed down to send a message.
"Given that we're likely to see more protests in the future around other issues," Harrison said.
In its argument, the Crown claimed the evidence shows all three men were key players and became faces of the blockade.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered, and this case will appear again on July 22.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.