More from Pyongyang on the Prairies: Cops crash teen’s 18th birthday, issue $1,300 fine over 10-person gathering

Cops crash teen’s 18th birthday, issue $1,300 fine over 10-person gathering

Manitoba is in full coronavirus lockdown mode. In person church services are cancelled. Non-essential items are roped off in retail stores. Restaurants are closed. Nothing is normal anymore, not even birthdays.

In today’s video, you’ll meet Matthew Loewen. He is a young man from Manitoba who just got a whopper of a birthday present from the province.

Loewen was handed a nearly $1,300 fine for having an unauthorized party. He and a handful of friends gathered in his dad’s trucking shop to celebrate his quiet, socially distant coming of age. Some anonymous tipster called the cops to the Loewen family business at which point young Matt was ushered into adulthood with an enormous ticket.

Matthew is a good kid. He’s never been in trouble before, and he shouldn’t be in trouble now, for doing something completely normal. I think it’s ridiculous.

That’s why I’m helping Matthew fight that fine. Matthew sent his ticket to me at www.FightTheFines.com and I’m putting Matthew in touch with a top criminal lawyer to help him fight back. He isn’t paying that fine. He’s pleading not guilty and we are taking this thing to court.

If you’d like to help cover the legal costs for Matthew and the hundreds of other people we are helping fight their COVID-19 restriction violation tickets, you can donate at the same website, FightTheFines.com.CoronavirusManitobaPoliceFight the Fines

Reporting on and fighting the pandemic fines.