Madeline Smith

Trial begins for Alberta man accused in foster child's death | CBC News The young boy, who can't be named due to a court-ordered publication ban, was found dead on the floor of a vehicle on a rural property in June 2022. The man caring for him at the time has pleaded not ...

Really, really difficult case in Wetaskiwin court this week about the death of an extremely vulnerable young child who was in foster care: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Hey folks, if you'd like to cover Edmonton courts and justice/crime issues at CBC, now is your chance because I'll be on maternity leave shortly into the new year. Applications due before midnight on Dec. 1! cbcrc.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/CBC_Radio-Ca...

Minister Amery says the acting assistant deputy minister of justice "has a vision for the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, and she's putting that vision into effect."

Meanwhile, the AACP says they need employment protections to protect prosecutors from being dismissed "for improper reasons."

Alberta prosecutors' group concerned over sudden departure of senior Edmonton Crown lawyers | CBC News The Alberta Crown Attorneys’ Association (AACA) says it doesn’t know the reasons for the “unexpected” departures of Edmonton's chief Crown and assistant chief, but said there has been a “significant d...

With the Alberta Crown Attorneys' Association going public about their concerns and questions over Edmonton's chief and assistant chief Crown suddenly out of their jobs, Justice Minister Mickey Amery says there was "no government involvement whatsoever" in the move. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Alberta to invoke notwithstanding clause to shield 3 transgender bills from court challenges | CBC News The Alberta government has tabled legislation that seeks to invoke the notwithstanding clause to shield a suite of bills that affects transgender youth and adults from legal challenges.

Alberta's justice minister has tabled a bill to invoke the notwithstanding clause to shield a suite of legislation from legal challenges. The laws in question restrict the rights of transgender people in access to health care and sports, and affect K-12 education of all students.
#AbLeg #Abed

Edmonton man gets life sentence for role in 2022 lounge shooting | CBC News After a trial, a judge finds Samatar Mohiadin, 28, was the first of four gunmen to open fire outside the north-central Edmonton nightclub on March 12, 2022, just outside a fenced patio where about a d...

It's been a long road for court cases from the 2022 Ertale Lounge mass shooting, but one man has been found guilty of 1st-degree murder. There were 4 shooters total — 1 going to trial in 2027, 1 still wanted on Canada-wide warrants, 1 has never been identified to this day. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

It's actually more like 600 people between the current repayment queue and currently active life leases.

Alberta seniors waiting for payments after ending life leases for housing frustrated by delays | CBC News Former residents of several Christenson Group of Companies retirement buildings have been waiting in queues — in some cases up to two years — to be repaid hundreds of thousands of dollars they put int...

And it's been two years since I wrote the first story on this whole situation: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

More than 200 Albertans owed hundreds of thousands of dollars for life lease repayment | CBC News As a growing number of seniors and their families wait for an Edmonton property developer to repay the money it owes under life-lease contracts, the company says provincial regulations are a new stumb...

There were more than 200 people in the Christenson Group life lease payment queue at the end of 2024. That's now up to 300, and there are 301 more active life leases with payments that will become due when the lease is terminated: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Edmonton developer Christenson Group files for creditor protection | CBC News Facing mounting debt, more than a dozen lawsuits and the possibility of receivership action from secured lenders, a court filing prepared by a lawyer for the Christenson Group says the aim is to marke...

Belatedly sharing from last week: this is a story I started following when I was a business reporter, and I'm still dealing with it as a court reporter: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Crown won't prosecute RCMP officers who killed Siksika man despite ASIRT recommendations | CBC News Alberta prosecutors have rejected the recommendation made by the province’s police watchdog that two officers face charges for the fatal Christmas Day shooting of an intoxicated Siksika man who was wi...

And in another ASIRT report released today, despite recommending charges against RCMP officers who killed a man after firing at him at least 20 times, Crown prosecutors will not be pursuing a case: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

EPS officers cleared in man's death after 2023 arrest | CBC News Alberta's police watchdog says there are no reasonable grounds to charge the Edmonton police officers involved in an arrest where a man died after he was handcuffed and hogtied.

ASIRT says there are no grounds to charge four Edmonton police officers involved in an arrest where a man died after he was restrained, handcuffed and briefly hogtied while lying face down on the ground: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

COVID-19 vaccine free for pregnant Albertans but many don't know that, doctors warn | CBC News Pregnant Albertans are eligible for a free COVID-19 vaccine this fall, but doctors say they are not aware of any clear messaging from the provincial government to either patients or health-care provid...

Pregnant Albertans ARE eligible for a free COVID-19 vaccine this fall...

But doctors say the messaging has not been clear and they worry people don't know this is the case

Latest from me👇
#abhealth
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The Handmaid's Tale among more than 200 books to be pulled at Edmonton public schools | CBC News A list confirmed by CBC News shows titles like The Handmaid's Tale and Brave New World are among books to be pulled. The development comes after a policy from Alberta's education minister outlines new...

Full list of books on the chopping block in Edmonton public schools — more than what was going around the internet yesterday — here, courtesy of reporting from @jantafrench.bsky.social and Emily Williams: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Saskatoon officers break silence on house party that led to 5 suspensions | CBC News Police officers are speaking out about a backyard hot tub and pool party that ultimately led to the suspension of five officers — including three from the tactical unit — and allegations of assault an...

This story on the Saskatoon Police Service is crazy. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

I checked earlier in the summer and it wasn’t finished, but I need to check again. Hopefully there will be an update at some point.

EPS officer admits to assault against man found sleeping in downtown LRT station | CBC News Edmonton Police Service Sgt. Michael Bates was charged in 2024 after junior officers on duty with him raised concerns about his conduct with a man following police instructions.

An EPS officer has pleaded guilty to an assault charge laid after junior officers patrolling with him reported an unwarranted use of force where he hit a man in the head who had been sleeping in an LRT station.
The officer's sentence is a six-month conditional discharge: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Edmonton extortion scheme linked to notorious B.C. gang, court records show | CBC News An extortion scheme that targeted South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton is linked to the B.C.-based gang Brothers Keepers, court records obtained by CBC News show.

One of the men accused in the "Project Gaslight" arson and extortion targeting South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton has pleaded guilty, putting new details about the scheme on the public record for the first time: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

City council expense policies need reform, audit report says A new report examining council members' expenses shows councillors are mostly following city policy, but there are "systemic issues" to fix.

Truly a story with so many twists that I never could have anticipated, that just seemed to keep going well past the point I thought there was nothing else to do. And it prompted a fair amount of reform about how council expenses are handled/disclosed in Calgary. calgaryherald.com/news/local-n...

Magliocca banned from business travel; council refers expense audit to police The results of the forensic audit come nearly six months after questions started to emerge about some of the costs the Ward 2 councillor billed to taxpayers

And then there was the night where council was behind closed doors for like two hours and then they came out at something like 10:30 p.m. and dropped the motion referring the expense investigation to the police: calgaryherald.com/news/local-n...

Integrity commissioner recuses himself from Magliocca expense probe, citing free meal with councillor Magliocca expensed a lunch with integrity commissioner Sal LoVecchio in 2019, which he said was a "social lunch" that taxpayers shouldn't have been billed for

I will also never forget the evening I got the email from the city's former integrity commissioner telling me he had to recuse himself from the investigation. I yelled "OH MY GOD" and my husband was very confused but I was totally unable to explain anything to him: calgaryherald.com/news/local-n...

Coun. Magliocca calls nonexistent guests on travel expenses a ‘clerical error' Chestermere Coun. Yvette Kind says she was surprised to learn her name was attached to a $331 bar tab.

I will never forget listening to Meghan Potkins on the phone talking to the first of what would become many people who were very confused to learn their names were on Magliocca's receipts: calgaryherald.com/news/local-n...

Former Calgary councillor Joe Magliocca gets house arrest and curfew for expenses fraud | CBC News Former Calgary councillor Joe Magliocca, who was convicted of fraud for submitting 19 falsified expense claims to the city, has been handed a six-month conditional sentence order.

Somehow I missed that former Calgary city councillor Joe Magliocca was sentenced last month after being found guilty of fraud: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Former Edmonton track coach found guilty of historic sexual offences against teen athletes | CBC News A judge found Ken Porter sexually touched teenage boys for his own gratification under the guise of athletic massages while he was their coach in the 1970s.

Ken Porter, a former track coach in Edmonton and Ottawa, was found guilty yesterday of five historical sexual offences — the judge found he used track-side "athletic massages" as a pretense to sexually touch three teenage boys in the 1970s: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Man injured during 2019 arrest questioned at EPS officer's assault trial | CBC News Edmonton police Const. Alexander Doduk has pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm against Justin LaFrance.

A police officer is on trial for assault charges from a 2019 arrest caught on video from the Royal Alberta Museum — this happened right by the courthouse and down the street from EPS headquarters: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Yes it's not a long-term care thing, it's used in independent retirement living for the most part. It comes with both the upfront fee and monthly costs, but the monthly fees might be less than a typical rental cost. It's a very unique system that I had no idea about until I did this reporting!

Review of Sobotiak murder conviction revealed undisclosed police evidence, court filing says | CBC News Roy Sobotiak's lawyers filed written arguments in support of his bail application on Friday, which shed light on issues they raised with the investigation and trial that ended in 1991, convicting Sobo...

I got more details on the background of the case, and the legal issues Sobotiak's defence team is now raising about a potential re-prosecution, through their written submissions to the court: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Man convicted of murdering Edmonton woman in 1987 granted bail | CBC News A man imprisoned for more than three decades for murdering an Edmonton woman has been granted bail, months after his conviction was quashed by the federal justice minister.

I had such a busy day with this case I never shared any of the stories, but I got to watch the bail hearing for Roy Sobotiak, who's now released after more than 35 years behind bars for the 1987 murder of Susan Kaminsky. Story from the awesome Wallis Snowdon: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

It is a thing in Manitoba but the legislation about how they're handled is actually quite different and has been held up as a good model by people who want more regulation around this type of housing.

Alberta developer faces Consumer Protection Act charges over return of life lease fees | CBC News Court records show that Greg Christenson, president of Christenson Group of Companies, has been charged with two counts of failing to return a life lease entrance fee within 180 days — alleged violati...

Greg Christenson, the president of the Edmonton development company that owes 200+ seniors and their families large sums of money they put into life lease contracts, has been charged under the province's Consumer Protection Act: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...