Dafonte Miller and the R. v. Theriault Verdict and Appeal: Julian Falconer Insists That the Justice System Must Learn to Factor in the Role of Racism
Julian Falconer of Falconers LLP spoke recently with journalist Aidan MacNab of the Law Times on the Crown’s decision to appeal the verdict in R. v Theriault, a case involving the brutal assault in December 2016 of Dafonte Miller, a Black youth, by off-duty Toronto Police Constable Michael Theriault and his brother Christian Theriault, both White men.
Falconer emphasized that for the justice system to keep up with the times and ensure its analyses and results are not detached from reality, it is “going to have to be able to factor in the role of racism in these kinds of cases.”
Falconers LLP represents Dafonte Miller and his family in civil proceedings and investigations into misconduct relating to the December 2016 assault.
The full Law Times article can be found here
Further background information can be found here, in the following Falconers LLP blog posts:
Dafonte Miller Case: ‘Troubling Aspects and Unanswered Questions’ Proclaims Mayor of Toronto, Tory July 25, 2017
Investigations Abound in Dafonte Miller Case July 31, 2017
Toronto Police Constable Theriault, and brother, mislead investigation in ‘deplorable’ police handling of Dafonte Miller Case August 2, 2017
“Gratuitous Attack and Deliberate Concealment of Crime”: Dafonte Miller Case August 17, 2017
Dafonte Miller Case Prompts Durham Police to Adopt New SIU Notification Procedure September 11, 2017
Falconer Calls for Federal Royal Commission of Inquiry into Policing in Wake of Conviction of PC Theriault June 30, 2020
OIPRD Report Reveals that Cover-Up at Toronto Police Service Kept Chief Saunders in the Dark August 7, 2020