The Complaining Kinsellas Unravel During Withering Cross-examination in the YOUR WARD NEWS “Uttering Threats” Case
TORONTO, October 24, 2018. The trial of YOUR WARD NEWS editor Dr. James Sears and publisher Leroy St. Germaine of charges of “uttering threats” continued in Toronto today Defence lawyers (Chris Murphy for Mr. St. Germaine) and (George Gray for Dr. Sears) painted a picture of an ugly feud going back to 2015 as the Kinsellas and their group STAMP (Standing Together Against Mailing Prejudice) sought to drive the satirical tabloid out of business by any means necessary, including, Warren Kinsella admitted trying to bankrupt Dr. Sears: “I want to do whatever it takes to shut this paper down,” he snapped.
The defence attorneys shredded the credibility of the complainant couple is rigorous cross-examination. George Gray revisited Kinsella’s extraordinary assertion from the previous day that he was only “vaguely aware” that Dr. Sears was running for mayor of Toronto. After some technical fumbling the testimony from yesterday was played back to the court. Mr. Gray said: “I submit you absolutely knew he was running” and references a tweet where Kinsella praised John Tory for refusing to participate in any “all candidates” debate where either Dr, Sears or populis videographer Faith Goldy were present because they were “White supremacists.” Having tried to muddy the waters by saying it took 25 signatures to nominate a candidate and that he did not keep close track of Dr. Sears’ campaign, Kinsella admitted: “I authorized the article. James Sears name never passed Mr. Tory’s lips. We do not want to legitimize White supremacy, misogyny and anti-Semitism,”
Mr. Gray also reminded Mr. Kinsella of his fighting tweet on October 22, urging supporters to come to the court proceedings, or help in other ways by donating money. However, as the Crown is prosecuting the case, the Kinsellas have no expenses. “In your view, it’s ethical to solicit funds for other proceedings.” Earlier Kinsella had admitted the funds would assist in other legal cases, a defamation action, they are pursuing against YOUR WARD NEWS.
Kinsella was visibly angry when confronted with his nickname “Prince of Darkness.” He insisted that short-lived Tory Kim Campbell called his that after her disastrous campaign. Kinsella had been a close war room advisor to victor Jean Chretien. He then added that his publisher had insisted on this handle. He concluded by asserting: “It’s what Mr. Sears does manipulating Wikipedia.” How he might do this was never explained.
Mr. Gray then confronted him with the name of the punk band he has played in SFH. Kinsella feigned surprise that Mr. Gray did not know what the initials meant and then explained “Shit From Hell”. Mr. Gray suggested that Prince of Darkness and Shit From Hell might explain the demonic and religious themes in some of YWN’s cartooning about the Kinsellas.
In the afternoon, Lisa Kinsella took the stand. In her testimony, she exposed the snowflake nature of this complaining couple. She explained the various action they and STAMP have taken — using her lobbying skills and insider Ottawa connections to get Dr. Sears and Mr. St. Germaine’s mailing rights removed, calling advertisers urging them to cease advertising in YWN, and lobbying with Jewish groups to get Dr. Sears and Mr,. St. Germaine charged under the “hate law”..
However, when Dr. Sears sought a review of the Interim Prohibitory order, she asked the review panel “not to ask her to give her address” as she was sworn in. [Paul Fromm, representing CAFE at these hearings had objected to this special privilege. He had argued for openness and transparency.]
The alleged threat in this case arose out of a reaction by Dr. Sears to the Children’s Aid Society being called to investigate his family and care of their young son. Six months later, Dr. Sears said he had not written about this malicious trick earlier because “there was the chance that some hothead … would lose it and do something illegal, like bludgeon the Kinsellas to death … I chose to turn the other cheek and let enough time pass for (those) people to react with cool heads. As a Christian, I don’t want to see harm come to the Kinsellas and have delayed this information to let tempers cool”
As on the previous day, questioning centred on a tweet by Warren Kinsella calling Dr. Sears a “neo-Nazi serial sex offender” and attaching an article which posted his picture, street address, picture of his house, car, licence plate number and a picture thereof. She said her husband never posted Dr. Sears’ address. The article said: Dr. Sears ” seems to think he can sexually harass people and promote all kinds of racist Nazi bullshit with little consequence … here’s his home address and some personal info for anyone who’s interested.”
“Do you think this is a call to action?” Mr. Gray asked. Lisa Kinsella bobbed and weaved: “Well, my husband didnt’ write this and I am not responsible for what my husband does. I cannot speculate” whether it’s a call to action.
Finally, she insisted: “It’s not a call to action when compared to what was written about us.”
The trial continues before Judge Dan Moore on Thursday. — Paul Fromm