#Winston blackmore investigator how to#

Twenty-seven years ago, swinging and swapping places were criminal activities, so all those people successfully launched constitutional challenge to freely associate with whomever they choose and they were successful in that I applaud them. “Twenty-seven years ago, when this started with us, same sex marriage was criminal. “Twenty-seven years ago, adultery was a criminal act,” Blackmore said. “I am living my religion, it is a part of my faith, it is something that is hugely important to me and my family and my father and his father, going back and hopefully going forward generations.”īlackmore associated his arguments in support of polygamy in the same vein as the struggle for legal protection for same sex marriage. “I would’ve been hugely disappointed if I would’ve been found not guilty of living my religion,” said Blackmore.

Outside court, Blackmore said he was never willing to deny his religious beliefs no matter the outcome. Other evidence included marriage records seized by Texas law enforcement during a raid on an FLDS compound in 2008, while statements Blackmore and Oler made to authorities in separate police investigations were also admitted.

The polygamy charges stem from the polygamous activities of Bountiful, which is associated with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), a breakaway group from the mainstream Latter Day Saints church that practice plural marriages as a way to obtain the highest order of celestial glory.ĭonegan’s guilty rulings came after her analysis of evidence submitted by Wilson, who relied on testimony from Jane Blackmore, Winston’s first legal wife who divorced her former husband and left the community in 2003. They’re not in the nature of an appeal at this stage, they deal with evidentiary elements that arose during the course of the trial.” Oler, but there will be a constitutional aspect to it, or a charter challenge, along with a common law challenge. “It’s our understanding that there are essentially two broad areas of challenge,” said McLaughlin, ”and I don’t profess to speak on behalf of either counsel for Mr. Suffredine indicated he wished to make Charter arguments, while Oler indicated he wishes to make common-law submissions.

#Winston blackmore investigator how to#

It’s up to Suffredine and Oler to decide how to argue their respective cases moving forward. “This is simply one more step in what has been a fairly involved criminal process.” “The court has not, however, entered convictions at this stage,” McLaughlin said. 21 to arrange a date to make the constitutional arguments.ĭan McLaughlin, communications counsel for the Criminal Justice Branch, said the verdicts are a result of the crown proving it’s case against Blackmore and Oler beyond a reasonable doubt. Lawyers will reconvene by telephone on Aug. Blackmore’s indictment included practicing polygamy with 24 women, while Oler was charged with practicing polygamy with four women, however, one addition was made during the course of the trial, bringing the total to five women. The two men, who are associated with the polygamous community of Bountiful near Creston in the southeastern corner of BC, have not yet been convicted as the legal proceedings move to constitutional arguments initiated by Blackmore’s lawyer, Blair Suffredine.īlackmore and Oler each faced one count of polygamy after charges were approved by special prosecutor Peter Wilson in 2014. Winston Blackmore and James Oler were found guilty of practicing polygamy in Cranbrook Supreme Court on Monday, in a ruling from Justice Sheri Donegan.