[pud99]

Smoking crack* is not a crime. Possession (whether simple or for the purposes of trafficking) is a crime. Trafficking (buying or selling) is a crime. Even if it could be proved that the use of crack to which Ford just admitted is the one seen in the video, the only way that he could be prosecuted would be by charging him with possession of the not-yet-vaporized crack that was in the pipe. Generally the police do not lay a possession charge on that basis alone. Moreover, if someone else was holding the pipe for him, no charge of possession would be sustainable on any basis. So, it is quite possible that the reason for Blair saying that the video provides no reasonable and probable grounds for charging Ford is not just that the recording might not support a beyond-reasonable-doubt conclusion that the pipe contained crack (at least not in the absence of the confession since made) but also that it would be contrary to normal police practice to lay a possession charge solely on the basis that Ford was in possession of a small amount of crack while in the process of smoking it.

*Pedantry alert! Properly speaking, a user inhales the product of vaporizing crack. Smoke is produced by burning a combustable material. Crack is vaporized by boiling it (raising its temperature to the point where it changes from a solid to a vapourous state).

 

[SFO]

MetroMan reported that another staffer will be revealed to be involved in this. I wonder if Ford made his admission today to take the spotlight off of this person? Perhaps he feels guilty that other people are mixed up in his personal life and wants to take full responsibility?

That makes it sound like guilt is something Ford is able to feel.

 

[JoeParez]

In a drunken stupor usually I just wolf down a Big mac at 2am...

I prefer a nice chicken shwarma.
The Ghazale at Bloor and Bathurst was my home for a long time!


Kudos to MetroMan.

 

[Bennett000]

MetroMan reported that another staffer will be revealed to be involved in this. I wonder if Ford made his admission today to take the spotlight off of this person? Perhaps he feels guilty that other people are mixed up in his personal life and wants to take full responsibility?

I get the feeling Ford cracked under the pressure. It doesn't seem like Doug knew Rob would own up to the crack smoking. Although it's hard to tell right now. If the rumour of Doug running from the media class at Ryerson is true, then there's a good chance he didn't know Rob was going to drop the bomb.

 

[PinkLucy]

MetroMan reported that another staffer will be revealed to be involved in this. I wonder if Ford made his admission today to take the spotlight off of this person? Perhaps he feels guilty that other people are mixed up in his personal life and wants to take full responsibility?

No, that would imply he has a conscience and cares about someone other than himself. I'm not buying it.

 

[ParkdalePetunia]

 

[PinkLucy]

And Wynne has actually made a statement:
My concern is it makes it difficult for business to carry on, says Premier Kathleen Wynne. "There's a huge amount of turmoil."
(as per Curtis Rush)

 

[Bennett000]

Someone find Doug Holyday

Interesting you mention Holyday. I always figured he jumped to provincial politics to distance himself from the impending train wreck. I thought it was odd for Holyday to abandon his seat after what he said a few years back.

 

[kevinsp8]

There are a million possible defenses to a possession charge. Maybe Rob thought it was crack but someone ripped him off and it was just a legal substitute in it. He was already blitzed on Purple Jesuses so he didn't notice. He thought he smoked crack but he really didn't.

Issue of possession is dicey too... if someone passed him the pipe and he took a toke and passed it on, possession is tenuous.

His confession didn't clearly point to the time the video was made. And the video isn't evidence that would stand up in court. Maybe he said what he said in the press conference because everyone believed it anyway and it's part of his strategy. Just wouldn't stand up beyond a reasonable doubt.

Maybe if they had an eyewitness. But even then, how did the eyewitness know it was crack and not, say, a new designer drug that's legal, meant to dupe crack users and make more money? Is the eyewitness an expert on drug chemistry and did he take residue from the pipe and have it analyzed at a lab?

 

[arksi]

Smoking crack* is not a crime. Possession (whether simple or for the purposes of trafficking) is a crime. Trafficking (buying or selling) is a crime. Even if it could be proved that the use of crack to which Ford just admitted is the one seen in the video, the only way that he could be prosecuted would be by charging him with possession of the not-yet-vaporized crack that was in the pipe.

Ford didn't admit that he was smoking crack in the video though. He just admitted that he's used crack in the past. He said that he was still asking for the video to be released so that he could see his own behavior or something. Not sure if there's any significance to that from a legal POV, but i thought it was a strange thing to say. Perhaps he said it because people will start asking for his arrest based on what's depicted in the recording.

 

[kbdid]

Wonder how that approval rating's going to go....

 

[Admiral Beez]

Perhaps he said it because people will start asking for his arrest based on what's depicted in the recording.

Who care's what people ask for? Smoking crack isn't a crime, possession and trafficking is.

IMO, his plan was to admit to the crack smoking now. When the video, or other nasty news is released he can say "I already apologized for that on the radio, and already admitted to that to the press, there's nothing new here".

 

[OSS 117]

Wonder how that approval rating's going to go....

Probably it'll go up. Who among us hasn't been so wasted that that they smoked crack in a drunken haze? Are we all so lily white and holier than thou?

 

[animatronic]

Wonder how that approval rating's going to go....

Does anyone have video of a reporter asking him a clear question about using crack and him responding "anything else?" need to make a clip of that plus him saying he wasn't asked the right question.

 

[TOperson]

Wonder how that approval rating's going to go....

Up, with some people. They will see this recent admission as proof of his honesty. (I know. Not logical. But the logic ship sailed long ago.)