Thursday, April 4, 2013

Saint John Lawyer Faces Possible Prison Time

A well known Saint John lawyer Rod Gillis -- who represented St. Stephen Chief Administrative Officer John Ferguson in his battle with the Saint John Pension Board -- is scheduled to be in court today in Moncton at a sentencing hearing for attempting to obstruct justice. 

The actual sentence itself won't be delivered by Judge Irwin Lampert until a later date because of all the documentation that has to be gone through.

The charge was laid in connection with Gillis's legal representation of former Liberal M-L-A Frank Branch. 

The former Speaker of the Provincial Legislature was charged with fraud and extortion. He was also also legally involved in a civil suit against the North Shore Forest Products Marketing Board.  Branch pleaded guilty to fraud over 5 thousand dollars, ordered to pay restitution and was sentenced to house arrest and probation. 

Meanwhile, according to the Law Society of New Brunswick website, Gillis has been suspended from practicing law but there's no explanation why.

Ontario Will Investigate Watered-Down Chemo Meds

An investigation will be carried out in Ontario by an independent third party into how watered down chemotherapy drugs were given to more than 1,100 patients, including 186 at the Saint John Regional Hospital.

The issue of whether privatization of the preparation of the chemo drugs might have been a factor has been raised by Ontario's Health Minister after a pharmacy technician noticed a discrepancy in the amount of fluid in some of the bags.

Chief of Staff Dr. John Dornan is promising the Regional Hospital is going to be a lot more careful in the future. He's vowing there will be more specificity with suppliers. 

Most hospitals mix the medications themselves and, even though the Regional has a new supplier, Dr. Dornan says it's a possible option.

Cameras In Uptown SJ Could Be A Reality

With repeated arson attempts, vandalism, and other issues at buildings throughout Saint John, city police are looking for better ways to remedy the ongoing issues.

Police Chief Bill Reid tells Tide News some areas including King Square could soon be outfitted with closed-circuit cameras to catch the culprits in the act.

Reid says it's not totally new -- the police force has already installed cameras where there's an ongoing crime problem with the permission of the property owners.