Judge Demands Gladue Report for Indigenous Offender

0:00A judge in Yellowknife just pushed back on a guy's claim that he's Caucasian, ordering a special report before sentencing him for breaking into a hotel. Jeremy Cooney-Yuna has about 90 prior convictions, mostly property crimes, and he pleaded guilty while representing himself. He and the Crown both wanted a six-month jail term, but the judge said no dice without more background info. The judge pointed out Cooney-Yuna didn't share any details on his indigenous roots, even though he insists otherwise. This happened in Territorial Court in the Northwest Territories, with the decision coming down on April 22nd. Those Supreme Court rulings, Glattu and IPLE, make it a must for judges to dig into indigenous offenders' histories, like colonialism and residential schools to cut down on over-incarceration. Skipping that info isn't an option unless the person truly waves it, and the judge didn't buy Cooney-Yuna stance here. Instead of a full pre-sentence report, the judge called for a targeted Glattu report on his indigenous background factors.

1:01He ruled the court has the power to demand it to get sentencing right under the criminal code. Sentencing is on hold until June 5th, with a report due by 4 p.m. on June 1st, and Cooney-Yuna staying in custody till then. This shows how those landmark cases still shape real courtrooms up north. You've been listening to Canada News today, AI-powered local news.