Ashley Smith: Series of calamities hits inquest into Canadian prison death. Reporter Kirk Makin; Globe and Mail; (Great Read HL);

BACKGROUND: Ashley Smith, 19, died in her prison cell at Grand Valley Institution near Kitchener, Ont., in October 2007 from self-strangulation. She had been transferred between federal institutions 17 times during her final 11 months, most of that time kept in segregation and often on suicide watch dressed in a highly restrictive gown. Jailed at age 13 for a crab apple-throwing incident in New Brunswick, Smith was eventually transferred to an adult facility after she kept getting into trouble behind bars by constantly kicking, grabbing and spitting at guards. Lawyer's for her family and the media had successfully attacked then presiding Coroner Dr. Bonita Porter's efforts to limit the scope and evidence to be called at the inquest which is currently on hold. Dr. John Carlisle has been appointed by Chief Coroner Dr. Andrew McCallum to take over the Inquest. The inquest is of interest to this Blog because it relates to the openness of public death investigations - and the necessity to ensure that deaths warranting inquests get full scrutiny.

STORY: "Series of calamities into Coroner's inquest into Ashley Smith's death," by Justice Reporter Kirk Makin, published by the Globve and Mail on February 29, 2012.

GIST: "The first blow to the Ashley Smith inquest came with the death of a police investigator assigned to the proceeding. With a total of 13 parties and twice as many lawyers participating in the high-profile probe, legal motions and appeals then consumed months of time and generated mountains of new evidence. Then, in a shattering blow last summer, Coroner Bonita Porter abruptly announced her retirement. Her chief counsel, Eric Siebenmorgen, saw the end of his secondment fast approaching and commenced imparting a vast storehouse of knowledge to his replacement, Crown counsel Fred Duprey. In January, out of the blue, Mr. Duprey died. For some of those caught up in the inquest, it began to seem cursed."

THE ENTIRE STORY CAN BE FOUND AT:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/series-of-calamities-besets-coroners-inquest-into-ashley-smiths-death/article2354623/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;