Judge Russell Brown denies allegations of altercation in Arizona
Judge Brown is still on leave as a complaint against him is considered by a judicial council, but new legislation pending in parliament could impact how allegations against judges are handled at the future.
Supreme Court Justice Russell Brown denies details of a newspaper article published Thursday that reports allegations that he ” harassed” a group of friends at an event on January 28 at a resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Vancouver Sun cites a police report in which the plaintiff, Jon Crump, accuses Mr. Brown of being intoxicated and making band members nervous before Mr. Crump punches the judge in the face twice.
The newspaper also reports that Mr. Crump accused the judge of shoving him before he punched Mr. Brown and that the police report indicates that no crime has been established.
In a written statement, Mr. Brown denies Mr. Crump's account and says he was asked to join the group before what he calls “an unprovoked attack”.
He says Mr. Crump, who did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the judge's statement, falsely accused him of being the #x27;initiator of the altercation in order to avoid the consequences of the alleged assault.
Mr. Brown has been on leave from court since February 1 pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation by the Canadian Judicial Council.
Outside the living room, Mr. Crump objected to me joining the group and suddenly, without warning or provocation, punched me multiple times in the head. Taken by surprise, I could not defend myself, says Mr. Brown.
The account Mr. Crump gave to the press is patently false. About an hour after the assault he called the police and, in an apparent attempt to avoid facing the consequences of his assault, he falsely described me as the instigator, he adds.
Mr. Brown, who was nominated to the Supreme Court in 2015 by then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was attending an awards ceremony and banquet before the altercation.
< p class="e-p">The Vancouver Sun recalled that the event was to honor former Supreme Court Justice and human rights advocate Louise Arbor, who was receiving an award of Arizona State University.
This incident embarrassed me and created complications for the Court. I hope Council resolves this matter quickly, Judge Brown said in a statement.
The local police public records office was not immediately available Friday. None of these allegations have been proven in court.
