Metis Man Not Guilty of Election Forgery

Metis Man Not Guilty of Election Forgery

Thursday, November 04, 2010 at 16:27

 

 

A man who was facing forgery charges for his role in the 2004 Metis election has been found not guilty.

 

After the jury found Brian Amyotte not guilty on all four charges, he whispered “thank you” to the jurors as his wife wept.

 

Amyotte’s lawyer, Robert Stevenson, spoke on behalf of Amyotte outside the courthouse, saying his client and wife feel a huge sense of relief.

 

Stevenson says most people wouldn’t be able to understand how hard it is to have something like this hanging over your head for years.

 

Around a dozen people were initially charged regarding the election.

 

Amyotte was the final person to face charges.

 

Only one person received a jail sentence whereas the rest who pleaded guilty received conditional sentences.

 

Others were acquitted or had their charges stayed.

 

Crown Prosecutor Paul Goldstein says despite Amyotte’s not guilty verdict, he says the RCMP’s investigation revealed wide-spread fraud, which proved the sanctity of the electoral process is not to be tampered with, no matter the organization.