Lawyer quits terror cases after death threat

[Andy_Stephenson]

Fighting for his composure, lawyer Rocco Galati said Thursday that he will drop all of his terrorism-related cases after a death threat that he said he believes came from an intelligence agency.

Mr. Galati is known as a tough-minded counsellor and he said he has put up with plenty of abuse for representing people many Canadians have no sympathy for. He has endured angry communications before and once found a strangled cat on his doorstep, but he almost broke down Thursday as he described his disillusionment upon receiving the threat.

“I'm not on the verge of tears for my safety. I'm on the verge of tears because it means we now live in Colombia. It means that the rule of law is meaningless. It means that lawyers cannot represent anyone even in what you profess to be a democracy here in Canada,” he said. “It comments on where we've arrived as a society.”

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031204.wroco1204_3/BNStory/National/

Anyone know what the significance of this story is?

[rumguy]

1. Got a link? Or any more details?

[Andy_Stephenson]

2. there ya go

sorry

[Isome]

10. Where? There ya go where? I don't see a link. n/t

[Andy_Stephenson]

12. its there

you can't see it?

[knight_of_the_star]

3. That is horrible

Isn't that just a TAD illegal?

[Andy_Stephenson]

4. I think

but then that is Canada.

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. I think it's illegal in Canada also.

At least it should be.

[Spazito]

8. Yes, very illegal in Canada, death threats are taken very seriously...

the authorities have traced the call to a phone booth, but I don't know what else they may have.

[Andy_Stephenson]

9. Where is the booth?

any Idea?

[Spazito]

23. All I know is that it was in Toronto, on the news report they gave..

the address but I don't remember it and haven't seen it in any articles, will look again though.

[Andy_Stephenson]

24. But it was in Toronto?

the booth I mean?

[Spazito]

25. Found this...

Galati says police have traced the call to a phone booth in Mississauga. Police placed his house under heightened alert for 911 calls, but have offered no extra protection, he said.

http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/CBC/2003/12/04/galati_031204

[Andy_Stephenson]

28. thanks n/t

[Spazito]

5. He has been defending men who have been imprisoned as...

suspected terrorists, from all accounts a very able man. The death threat referred to here relates to Mr. Galati being the lawyer for a Canadian released from Guantanimo and against whom no charges in Canada or the US have ever been laid.

This is very chilling, imo. It does not only leave those who are due representation without counsel, it is a message to others that might want to take up cases related to Guantanimo, etc.

[Andy_Stephenson]

7. I wonder who called him though

thats what I am wondering...

[Spazito]

11. He has said that this person has called him before....

and has said it was an intelligence agency, some newspapers said either Canadian or US, other reports had him saying it was a US intelligence agency.

This is not the first time he has claimed interference by intelligence agencies though.

[Philostopher]

13. Hey, Andy -- interesting.

Somebody will probably post this while I'm typing, but it looks like he was also representing Mike Vreeland -- isn't he the guy who claimed he had predicted the 9-11 (edit to) attack from prison in Ontario? I don't know how credible this news source is, but that's what it says:

http://www.propagandamatrix.com/051203galatideaththreats.html

Interesting.

[Andy_Stephenson]

14. I thought the name sounded

familiar.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

26. BFEE M.O.

At the time, Slansky told the court he had gone to Vreeland's apartment to pick him up but found it ransacked, with key evidence related to his client's 9/11 claims missing.

Did Vreeland skip town? Slansky argued no. He said he believed his client had been "killed, kidnapped or harmed" because he had evidence that the U.S. government knew ahead of time about the Sept. 11 attacks.

[rumguy]

15. If it was me I'd say bring it on - I definetaly would not let

anyone intimidate me from fullfilling my duty as legal counsel...screw that...

[Andy_Stephenson]

16. You a lawyer?

What state?

[rumguy]

22. taking the bar exam in feb., live in Seattle

[Andy_Stephenson]

27. You should call me...

I will pm you with the number.

[MoonRiver]

17. WHERE'S THE LINK??

A lot has been said but nobody has produced a link!

[Andy_Stephenson]

18. The link is in the story at the bottom

you don't see it?

[MoonRiver]

21. OK, I got it.

Thanks.

[Spazito]

19. The link is in the opening of the thread

*

[stevedeshazer]

20. It's in the original post n/t