CBC News article today:

"[Winston] Blackmore is facing charges in federal court in Vancouver for allegedly owing up to $1 million in back taxes. At issue is whether his community qualifies as a religious congregation under the law.

"CBC lawyer Dan Burnett says once the trial gets underway, it will be the first time Blackmore will be compelled to testify under oath at a trial.

"I expect you're going to hear some information about the practices and approaches and beliefs in the community we haven't heard before," Burnett said.

"There will be no restriction on the public being able to hear and see all the evidence as to the issue in the case, which even though it's a tax case, it's about whether Bountiful is a congregation within the meaning of the Tax Act, and that's going to get into what beliefs they share spiritually and all that."

"B.C. Crown lawyer Craig Jones has said it's no secret Blackmore is a polygamist, and the tax case will force him to talk about marriages among 12- and 13-year-olds in the community.

"If [Chief Justice] Bauman rules the ban on polygamy is permissible [in his decision expected soon after a recent trial] under the [Canadian] Charter of Rights, the B.C. government is likely to renew its prosecution of Blackmore, it has indicated."
---

I'm all in favour of more information becoming public. I hadn't heard that the BC govt would apparently prosecute Blackmore if the law against polygamy stands up (after a decision is handed down shortly by the Chief Justice in a recent "trial" - there were no defendants but the judge heard both sides in the argument for/against upholding the anti-polygamy law in Canada).

NB: As always, my focus is on the Mormon Fundamentalist polygamous group here, where there are ongoing concerns about isolation, child abuse, lack of access to even basic education, and "marriages" between adult men and significantly underage females. What consenting adults do, including participating in polygamous unions, I leave to them. But now even lawyers and govt reps are using the ages of 12 and 13 in connection with the Bountiful, BC FLDS commune. Completely unacceptable, if true, and yes, it's a cause worth fighting for, to protect the children and to help open up their world, giving them the option to make their own choices, as age-appropriate, and in sanity and peace, in any way possible and appropriate that any outside adults can find.

I'm looking forward to hearing the legal opinions. And if Blackmore indeed owes $1M in taxes, I hope there's a way to collect it. He reportedly has, or had, major business interests that were very profitable. I hope the businesses pay up and not govt assistance or some such weasley way out for him.

They might not put Blackmore in jail for confessing on national TV to having "married" more than a few 15 yr old girls, while over 50 yrs old himself, but hey, don't pay your taxes and they'll come get ya for sure!

Don't FLDS scriptures say "Pay unto Caesar" like the Bible does? How do you explain not paying your taxes?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/06/03/bc-winston-blackmore-tax-testimony.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2011 08:42PM by Nightingale.

get them, taxes will! Guess he thought he was exempt. But, maybe not.

in general in Canada? We haven't heard about it for a long time. Is your court still thinking it over?

Yes, still thinking it over. It may be another couple of months. There was a lot of evidence for one judge to weigh and I guess some commanding arguments for and against. Those who spoke out "for" were largely supporting adult polygamous relationships, or that was my impression. I think that has zero bearing on the FLDS brand, but to be sure, upholding the law against polygamy will have repercussions for others besides the FLDS, so he has to seriously think through every facet of the issue.

It's the best publicity though to alert the wider public to the issues in Bountiful and that is going to be good, whatever view the judge ultimately takes.

I don't even care if Blackmore is prosecuted or not, I just want the kids to have more normal childhoods and, of course, to ensure that frank abuse is stopped and any abusers brought to justice.

But definitely the guy should pay the piper (taxman). That is one choice citizens don't have, unless they want to suffer severely adverse consequences. You'd think Blackmore would be trying to be a model citizen. And a good role model. Ha.

Ha! That must have been a moment of black comedy when Blackmore told the judge that he was immune from prosecution. The judge refused Blackmore's request to call the trial off -- apparently the judge does not agree that Blackmore's high, assholiness is immune from prosecution.

The BC Ag is really setting the stage for multiple spouses in Canada. ""B.C. Crown lawyer Craig Jones has said it's no secret Blackmore is a polygamist, and the tax case will force him to talk about marriages among 12- and 13-year-olds in the community."
Note, he doesn't say a word about multiple spouses if they are over 16. That's because his new family law legislation coming in this summer ALLOWS, sanctions and permits married people to have same time common law spouses. Clever. Lawyers love it!