Thread by @atMatthewBest

1/ Sometimes you come across something both intense and on the public record it demands attention. In this case, it's the saga of Diane Magas, the defence counsel for Tamara Lich and Chris Barber.

I don't care for leering, especially when it comes to defence lawyers...

2/ who perform a vital task in our courts. Lawyers are not their clients, the behaviour of their clients is not theirs, etc.

But this is an adjunct tale to our current saga, and it's wild.

It comes full circle to vaccine mandates at the end, promise.

3/ None of the below calls into question Diane Magas as effective counsel to her clients, or says anything about her as a person.

Nor does this reflect on the matters before the court now with regard to the convoy protests.

It's just a helluva side-story that popped up.

4/ Magas was also once a director of the now-dissolved, but important-sounding, Relapse Prevention Centre. So I'm not doubting her commitment to rehabilitation, which 100% should be the focus of the criminal justice system.

opengovca.com/corporation/32…

5/ What woman hasn't, at one point, thought "I CAN CHANGE HIM!"? All the women reading this, and the men who translated it to "she ain't crazy bro, just passionate" can keep their hands down, too. Or post a pic with your hand up and location tag it so I can find you and slap you.

6/ ANYWAY, for many years Ottawa and its environs were seized by the criminal antics of Mr. Richard Condo. His Twitter profile proudly boasts a PCL-R score of 40.

twitter.com/richardcondo3

7/ PCL-R stands for Hare's Psychopathy Checklist (Revised). It's for diagnosing/grading psychopathy.

The standard threshold for psychopathy on the PCL-R is 30.

Condo's claimed score of 40 is the max possible.

Paul Bernardo scored 35 (Homolka scored 5).

8/ Condo's lawyer back when he was serving a custodial sentence circa the 2000s was Diane Magas.

Condo's WIFE back when he was serving a custodial sentence circa the 2000s was ALSO Diane Magas.

9/ We know this because it is in court rulings in a matter asking Magas be removed as Condo's counsel in his request to have his long-term supervision revoked:

canlii.org/en/qc/qccs/doc…

10/ This stemmed from Condo's 2000 conviction for "criminal harassment, aggravated assault, assault, uttering death threats, kidnapping, forcible seizure, theft, possession of stolen property and breaching conditions."

cbc.ca/news/canada/co…

11/ While he was incarcerated, Condo married Magas. "They were married on November 18, 2003 while he was incarcerated at the Donnacona penitentiary serving his sentence in the case at bar. They now have 5 children together," R. c. Magas Condo reads.

12/ This is where it gets kind of wild. See, as part of Condo's request to have his supervision removed, they had to look at the totality of his behaviour, including during his time at Pénitencier Donnacona, the max sec facility where Condo was serving his sentence.

13/ The Crown wanted to cross-examine Magas. Why? "The Crown intends to call as witnesses correctional officers. Hence, should any of them make comments about the [Magas], her behaviour or her influence on the Impleaded party, she would have to cross-examine them about herself."

14/ Why? Well, among other things, Condo was accused of running a loansharking operation and an off-track betting parlour.

From prison.

That Magas helped with.

15/ "During his incarceration, information suggested that Mr. Condo was involved in loan sharking and sports gambling, and Respondent brought into the institution several pages of stats for the upcoming weekend football games."

16/ Now, as mentioned, Condo was released. That's what we do in Canada, and rightfully so. A focus on rehabilitation is a *good thing*.

Was Condo rehabilitated, though? Well, I mentioned the environs of my old hometown being subjected to criminal antics, so...

17/ Well, there was the kidnapping and related charges mentioned earlier.

A 2012 @ottawasuncom article notes a total of 80 convictions, including Condo biting the ear of a Special Constable.

ottawasun.com/2012/03/22/con…

18/ An August 2021 article from Gatineau-based Le Droit says Condo, then 57, was arrested again for a range of sexual charges said to have occurred between Jan. 1, 2001 and Aug. 10, 2001, including child pornography and sexual contact with a minor.

ledroit.com/2021/08/19/plu…

19/ If you can't read French: "Eight sex charges were filed against the individual ... Condo was also charged with possession of child pornography, making available sexually explicit material, exhibitionism in front of a minor and sexual assault."

20/ "Charges of criminal harassment and harassing communication have also been brought against the individual," Le Droit goes on to note.

Condo's last tweet from the prior-linked account was Aug. 5, 2021.

21/ There's no follow-up to that article that I can find, but it's worth reminding people that a person, no matter their past, is entitled to have all charges and evidence tested in court, and that no person should be presumed guilty based on prior bad acts.

EVER.

22/ Condo has also been the subject of a 2009 feature-length docudrama titled Section 753.2.

That docudrama was written and produced by Condo, with co-writing credits to one Diane Condo.

imdb.com/title/tt182512…

23/ Here's the cover art, with a constable with a very stern, British Bobby-like demeanour restraining Condo from riding off on his sweet hog.

24/ One Diane Condo is also credited as the writer of the film's blurb on IMDb.

imdb.com/title/tt182512…

25/ Magas also appeared in a 45-minute doc package put together on Condo. I have no date on the original video, but the below was uploaded to YouTube on Oct. 6, 2011.

That's before the court's 2014 ruling in R. c. Magas Condo.

26/ (The doc starts off with Richard Bosada, credited as one of Condo's defence counsel, pointing out correctly that people often fault lawyers for the clients they represent -- again I emphasize lawyers are not their clients, and their defence strengthens all our rights.)

27/ Diane Magas speaks after Bosada, and says that media hassled her and her children (don't do this).

Magas goes on to say that "because I was involved personally with him, I could not get involved professionally."

At some point that may have changed, based on the 2014 ruling.

28/ The doc package goes on to note that Magas settled two defamation lawsuits against newspapers, seemingly for implying she was unethical for being involved with Condo. These appear to be the @OttawaCitizen and @ottawasuncom

29/ I'll note two things. One, people love who they love; any implication that Magas is herself somehow a bad person, a bad lawyer, doesn't provide effective counsel based on her relationship w/ Condo is bunk.

Same goes for her kids.

This is just a side-story here, after all.

30/ Second, the doc package says the lawsuit was settled, so those defamation claims might not have actually been tested in court. Inferring that the papers actually did defame Magas may not be the correct conclusion either.

Make of these what you will, but behave properly ffs.

31/ "Matthew, you told us this would come full circle to vaccine mandates -- what does Condo being seemingly as addicted to habitual recidivism as he says he was to cocaine have to do with that?"

Glad you asked.

32/ Remember Condo's Twitter profile? Well, one of the last things it tweeted out before Condo's Aug. 2021 arrest was this, about "Trudeau [calling] for forced vaccinations."

https://twitter.com/RichardCondo3/status/1423397711131430915

33/ Tada!

Condo's Twitter profile lists "The Zero Hedge Show," which shares a name with Bulgaria-based ZeroHedge Blog.

The link in the profile leads here:

thezerohedgeshow.org

34/ "Hosted by senior Canadian lawyer Hedge and Zero who has yet to accomplish anything worthwhile at 57 yrs of age," the show says about its hosts.

35/ "Being depressed about being a man ,with toxic masculinity. Watching You Tube, eating gummies, losing his teeths. Ex Con, psychopath, criminal with over 100 criminal charges on his record. Yes, that's Zero indeed! Yet, perhaps more Hedged than Hedge herself!" it continues.

36/ So, a flat description of Condo, and a female lawyer.

And the contact address for the company has the same Metcalfe St. address as Magas' law practice.

thezerohedgeshow.org/contact

37/ Again I'm going to emphasize that absolutely none of this calls into question Magas' ability to represent her clients.

It also doesn't call into question Magas' argument at court in the bail hearings or the bail reviews. Canada is a country governed by rule of law.

38/ Points of law and fact before the court DO NOT DIFFER because you disagree with the person making them politically, ethically or morally.

A lawyer could believe sacrificing children to Moloch for secret magic powers is good, and this would not change submissions one iota.

39/ Magas has also done critical work raising allegations of abuse, such as a filing in January of this year for alleged mistreatment of a prisoner in Ottawa.

ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new…

40/ (That case involved a US citizen who pleaded guilty to smuggling his own gun across the border after a "wrong turn" at the border. The judge noted his gun was not connected to crime and the border guards should have turned him away given the border was closed due to COVID)

41/ While those allegations have ALSO not been tested in court, it's important for lawyers to vociferously guard inmates against abuse or mistreatment. Because, again, what we do to the least of us -- including those we see as "deserving," like prisoners -- affects all of us.

42/ Again I'm going to emphasize:

1. Lawyers' personal views do not alter what is before the court, that's silly.
2. Magas is a lawyer in good standing.
3. Lawyers at not their clients.
4. Partners are not their spouses.

43/ 5. Children are not their parents.
6. Reasonable bail is a charter right, not to be denied without just cause.
7. Even a goddamn werewolf is entitled to legal counsel. That includes everybody you don't like.

It SPECIFICALLY AND DELIBERATELY includes everybody you don't like.

44/ And I won't debate the above points with reply guys in the thread.

This is just a strange, fascinating side story that's evolved from this.

45/ And since Twitter is apparently blocking Tweets 33 & 36, here they are BUT WITH SCREENSHOTS.

Boo, Twitter. They're just links you big blue bird baby.

33.5/

36.5/