Judges

The Following article shows the frailties of Judges' and how their criminal conduct goes unchecked by law enforcement and by the bench and Bar.

Predator judge deserves 10 years in Jail

David Ramsays plea bargain discounts his victims and debases criminal justice

By Ian Mulgrew

Vancouver Sun

May 10, 2004

Wallace Craig, a retire B.C. provincial court judge, told me he was overwhelmed by the crimes of his former brother on the bench, David William Ramsay.

The judge, victims and the general public are being massaged by two skilled lawyers who have carefully scripted a plea bargain, he complained.

As with all plea bargains, only one person truly benefits � the criminal, Victims are discounted and criminal justice is debased.

He is not alone. Media talk shows across the province were inundated with callers expressing anger and condemnation over what had happened.

The reverberations of Ramsays five guilty pleas are only beginning to be felt. This is rare occurrence, such tragedies involving a judge happen only about once every quarter century.

In B.C., you have to go back to the 1970s to find a judge embroiled in a sex scandal. But this is not a case of a judge simply consorting with prostitutes. This is far more insidious and disturbing series of events.

Ramsay admits to being a violent, serial sexual predator for more than a decade , he awaits sentencing for one count of sexual assault causing bodily harm, three charges of buying sex from girls under 18 and one for breach of trust.

A longtime Prince George resident, Ramsay worked as a lawyer from the early 1970s until he was appointed to the provincial court bench in 1991. He chose some victims from among those who appeared before him on family matters and criminal cases , vulnerable and fragile girls between the ages of 12 and 16.

Yet no one noticed his aberrant behaviour and no one investigated the whisper from the street that this judge was a volatile Jekyll and Hyde. Who knows how long Ramsay was preying on girls or how many fell victim to him?

Special prosecutor Dennis Murray told the court even after charges were laid, professionals worried about testifying against Ramsay because of his power , think about other girls who may have been abused.

Its astounding that these four disadvantaged and powerless girls found the courage to stand up and point the finger at this violent, silver haired Lothario.

Even then, Ramsay wasnt removed from the bench and given administrative duties until the summer of 2002. He was allowed to politely resign that October , when the jig was up and Murray was appointed. He should have been publicly fired.

Already, you can hear the legal systems wagon being circled around this case. Precious paternalism are being cranked out at an astounding rate: This shows the system worked. The administration is not tarnished. This was a personal character issue. Hogwash.

It looks to me like the good burghers of Prince George wore blinder during Ramsays tenure and the legal system is in convulsion trying to deal with the fall out.

Murray claims he scrutinized the court files of each victim and that Ramsays rulings all appear to be proper.

Similarly, Attorney-General Geoff Plant promises and extensive review of the other cases. But how would we know Ramsays decisions werent influenced by his abhorrent appetites?

Can we truly accept that Ramsay was sexually abusing girls in his spare time but Solomon in his judicial rulings? How can we ever be sure? (Never, as a pedophile and sex addict, Ramsay must have been exploiting young women for years)

We cant , thats part of the far reaching and extensive damage he has caused. I think its ridiculous that Murray and defence lawyer Leonard Daoust would even try to minimize these offences by suggesting a penalty of fewer than five years imprisonment. (This shows that pedophilia is part of the norm for the bench and Bar and Law Enforcement)

Such a term means your are out in less than two years if you keep your nose clean , that is an insult in a case like this.

These are unspeakable, callous crimes of power committed against adolescents , this is not about sex. A stiff sentence of denunciation and deterrence is required.

I say give him 10 years in the slammer , at least then he might actually serve close to five.

Ernie Meigs, a dumb as a defence post Alberta farm hand, was recently handed nearly 15 years for raping two women in a high-profile hostage taking.

Those offences pale by comparison to Ramsays behaviour in terms of evil.

Given all the advantages he had in his life, his position of trust and his life,and his sang froid about what he has done, it is an affront to suggest Ramsay deserves a break at sentencing in June.

Could you believe the smirk on his face as he walked in and out of court? This former judge tried to stare these girls down and until last Monday morning, to avoid conviction, he was prepared to make them relive the horrors he inflicted on them. (Sheer arrogance from Judges, who know they hold all the power).

When these young women failed to fold, Ramsay and his high priced lawyer went shopping for a deal. I can only hope B.C. Supreme Court Judge Patrick Dohm cuts through the blarney and imposes a proper sentence, instead of what appears to be a three to five year plea bargain. Craig agrees.

As a sitting judge and serial predator who victimized the most defenceless and vulnerable of women, Ramsay should receive a maximum sentence, Ramsays former benchmate says.

What he did degrades society and stains the judiciary, because it brings to everyones mind: if Ramsay could lead a double life, then how many other judges have a dark side, corruptible or criminal?

(J4Y's opinion says that there are more Judges living such lifestyle than anyone of us care to even believe. Most Judges believe they are invisible and as a result even if they wanted to be caught for any of their misconduct, the Crown and law enforcement have a silent code that says, Do not criminally charge any Judges for any wrongdoing)

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