Canada blocks extradition of accused sex offender because of civil commitment
Nova Scotia’s highest court is ordering Canada’s justice minister to take another look at her decision to allow the extradition of a Nova Scotia man accused of sex crimes in Minnesota.
Robert Charles Carroll is facing charges involving a teenage girl he knew when he lived in Minnesota from 1998 to 2008. The girl alleges Carroll abused her from 2003, when she was 13, until 2008.
The girl made her complaint in 2011. U.S. authorities requested that Carroll, who now lives in Nova Scotia, be extradited to Minnesota to face the charges.
Carroll fought the extradition order because of provisions in Minnesota law that could have him locked up indefinitely, if he is convicted.
In a decision released this week, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled Carroll’s concerns are valid and should have been considered more carefully by Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould before she agreed to the extradition.
The concerns focus on Minnesota’s sex offender program (MSOP), which allows for a convicted sex offender to be kept in custody after they have finished their criminal sentence. MSOP is meant to help rehabilitate an offender and allows for detention until a person can be safely reintegrated into society.
Carroll’s lawyer presented the Court of Appeal with evidence and arguments from American courts showing MSOP is badly flawed. The evidence included suggestions MSOP doesn’t allow for regular reviews of inmates in the system to see if they have improved.
In its decision, the Nova Scotia court said the justice minister should not have relied on assurances from American authorities who said Carroll was an unlikely candidate for MSOP.
“Interfering with the minister’s discretion in these politically sensitive decisions is not to be undertaken lightly,” Justice Elizabeth Van den Eynden wrote for the majority of the three-member appeal panel.
“In my view, this is a case of real substance which warrants interference.”
GREAT!
Shows that even Canada views the sex offender “laws” in the USA as abusive, cruel, and unusual PUNISHMENT!
LISTEN UP AMERICA! When are you going to STOP politicians from wiping their collective asses with our Constitution and let American citizens who have paid their DEBT TO SOCIETY back into that society?
What is it going to take?
Common sense is clearly NOT a requirement to work in government. Yes, I understand that the word “work” is really out of place when used in the same sentence as government.
Tell it like it is LEE. Lay it on’em. Because the truth shall set you free.
So to speak!
Jesus said, “If you continue in my word then you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
Jesus knew and taught that the truth does not make everyone free.
Good!
If Canada truly felt that way they would allow any RSO to travel in their country no matter their crime, but sadly they do not
Not necessarily…you see unlike the typical “black and white” thinking of Americans they are actually are looking at this case individually and treating this individual as an individual instead of lumping them into one group “sex offenders” as is done in the USA…where individuals have rights…well as long as they agree with everyone else!
They would be foolish to simply have an open border policy as no country does that. The do however use logic at times which is a totally foreign concept to American politicians!
The point remains that they see this as a grossly abusive, unfair, and inhuman punishment which we all know it is!
Way to go Canada!
Lee, of course no one has an open border policy but they allow “None” “Zero” sex offenders in their country so that blows your whole they take each case individually out of the water
They are no different than any country and the logic you say they use is for publicity only
again if they truly felt that way they would allow some or a few rso’s to visit their country and they do not
So right, it’s pretty hypocritical to pretend that the USA’s sex offender laws are harsh, when Canada doesn’t allow anyone into it’s country that has been convicted of a felony offense, and most especially registered sex offenders! I find it hard to believe Canada is truly concerned that Minnesota may “lock Mr. Carroll up for life” since they truly advocate the mentality “banned for life”.