Pubdate: Fri, 19 Apr 2002
Source: Daily News, The (CN NS)
0-04FDD807C610}
Copyright: 2002 The Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/halifax/dailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/179
Author: Beth Johnston

SIX MORE SUSPECTED DRUG DEALERS ESCAPE WHEELS OF JUSTICE

Six accused drug dealers were let off the hook yesterday when the Crown 
stayed proceedings against them because the Mountie involved in their cases 
is charged with the crime himself.

The federal Justice Department is re-examining about 25 cases -- from 1999 
to 2001 -- in which Tantallon RCMP Const. Danny Ryan was involved, and 
stayed charges against six people in Halifax and Dartmouth yesterday.

Ryan, a six-year officer, was arrested at the Cambridge Suites in Halifax 
on Jan. 23 and charged with trafficking marijuana. Mounties seized 
marijuana during the arrest, an amount Ryan's lawyer says is less than four 
kilograms.

The 31-year-old had been part of Tantallon RCMP's successful "Street Team," 
a plainclothes drug team that worked with information from other 
investigations and community sources to crack down on street-level drugs.

The Crown couldn't proceed with many of the charges because Ryan had sworn 
the information to get the search warrants, and would have to be a key witness.

"When you learn that ... the officer who is the primary person responsible 
for the search ... is implicated himself with criminal conduct of an 
associated nature, then it obviously sets off a lot of alarms," said 
defence lawyer Warren Zimmer. "If there is a question of the credibility of 
that person who swears that document, then clearly the credibility of the 
search itself is brought into question."

Federal Crown attorney Tim McLaughlin said his review is "essentially 
complete," and has recommended to the attorney general that stays be 
entered for about 15 people.

Last week, stays were entered against five individuals. Six more had their 
charges stayed yesterday, and McLaughlin expects there will be some others 
later this week.

People with their charges stayed in Halifax provincial court yesterday 
included Derrick Richard Ryan, 24, 2803 St. Margaret's Bay Rd.; Philip 
Murray Munroe 51, 15 Fox Pen Rd., Tantallon; Judith A. Munroe, 53, 15 Fox 
Pen Rd., Tantallon; Trina Louise Smith, 19, 1239 Barrington St.; Jerry 
Scott Hubley, 26, 12,863 Peggys Cove Rd.
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