The dramatic day of testimony on the stand Wednesday in the Gerald Stanley trial drew an immediate reaction from the people there that day.
One of those at the Battleford court house was Tom Jiricka, who farms south of Biggar. He was there to express his support for farmers — and disdain for the media’s negative portrayal of them.
“The media’s making farmers and everybody saying we’re racist or something,” said Jiricka.
“This is nothing to do with racists. This is to do with breaking and enterings of farms. And you know, there’s bad apples on every side.”
Jiricka said he has suffered from break and enters himself. He also directed further words at the media, including one in particular.
“I think, personally, I think they’re terrible, CBC you really suck.”
A more subdued reaction came from Chris Murphy, the Toronto-based criminal lawyer representing the Boushie family.
He tried to put a positive spin on a day when the Crown case received a hammering on the witness stand from the defence team. Murphy particularly pointed to Sheldon Stanley’s testimony earlier that day, testimony that suggested the shooting of Boushie might have been accidental.
“At the conclusion of this case, the jury’s going to be instructed to use their common sense,” said Murphy.
“And this morning, Sheldon Stanley testified that his father said ‘I don’t know what happened, it just went off, it just went off.’ And at the conclusion of this case the jury will say ‘use your common sense’ and determine for yourselves whether or not it’s a coincidence that after that bullet actually went off, the bullet actually ended up behind Colten Boushie’s left ear.”
“It’s been a difficult day for the family,” admitted Sheldon Wuttunee, speaking for the Boushie family to reporters outside.
“Certainly a lot of speculation yet, and a lot of tough feelings.”
Moving forward, Wuttunee said, they needed to have confidence in the Crown to ask the proper questions and do their due diligence with all the witnesses taking the stand.
“I don’t know if we’ve felt that today, but we’re hoping that in the coming days that that’s what we’re going to find that transpires.”
Wuttunee said the family would be back for the proceedings the next day, but noted “we are seeing some gaps in the justice system today that are serving not only First Nations people but Canadians alike.”
Alvin Baptiste, Colten Boushie’s uncle, seemed more optimistic. He said he was taking it “day by day.”
“We’ll see by tomorrow again, taking another step towards hoping to seek justice for my nephew Colten.”
