Scofflaw Cliff Tang is in prison
The notorious scofflaw Cliff Tang is in prison right now, a third of the way through a three-month sentence for driving (again) without a license. I am not optimistic that Cliff Tang will abide by the driving ban that will be imposed when he is released. Though he is fortunate that a three-year ban was imposed by the court instead of the ten-year ban requested by the Crown, Cliff Tang's past behaviour suggests that, in his view, a ban on driving is more akin to a guideline.
Remember Cliff Tang? He's the serial scofflaw under a long term driving suspension resulting from the killing of pedestrian Jerry Kithithee while Tang was involved in a street race. Repeatedly after that tragedy, Tang has been picked up by police while driving under the suspension.
The most recent happened this month. Cliff Tang was driving a Lamborghini.
The car lacked a license plate and Tang was stopped by a police officer. He gave a false name, perhaps thinking that if he omitted his notorious history of driving without a license and of street racing, he might be let off with a warning.
Well, whatever his reasoning, it only got him in deeper trouble.He was charged but then the court put a publication ban on the proceedings. Maybe the concern was that with the media attention driven by Tang's history, a defense could be mounted that a fair trial was not possible.
It doesn't matter now, since Cliff Tang has taken a plea bargain:
Notorious street racer Cliff Tang will be back on the streets in three months after pleading guilty to driving without a licence and giving a false name when caught.
On Thursday, Mr. Tang entered an early guilty plea in Richmond Provincial Court and Mr. Justice Dennis Schmidt proceeded to sentencing without a trial, said Mr. Tang's lawyer, Jeff Campbell.
Mr. Tang was sentenced to four months in jail for driving while disqualified and two months for obstructing a peace officer.
However, the judge gave two-for-one credit for the 1½months he had already served after being denied bail, so Mr. Tang will spend three more months in jail, Mr. Campbell said.
It could have been worse for Cliff Tang:
Judge Schmidt also handed down a three-year driving prohibition, which starts immediately, to be served concurrently, overlapping with Mr. Tang's previous driving ban. Crown counsel had pushed for a 10-year prohibition, Mr. Campbell said.
Any bets on how quickly Cliff Tang finds himself behind the wheel of a fast sports car after he is released in three months?
Photo by Glenn Baglo, Vancouver Sun
Note this is not recent news, since the proceedings concluded mid-September. But I had only just thought about checking in on Cliff Tang, not sure there would be any news given the publication ban.
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Comments
I would like to say unbelievable but I can't-after all, this is Canada, where life is cheap and criminals have rights. Why does the Injustice System have such contempt for honest citizens? Tang committed murder, and commits attempted murder every time he gets behing the wheel of a car. Why are we so afraid to name a criminal a criminal? I cannot own a gun without registering it, for fear I might shoot someone, but Tang has a more deadly weapon(at least the car becomes a weapon with him behind the wheel) and the Court looks the other way with a ludicrous sentence like this. A driving ban, big deal. They have worked so well before, NOT!
I would really like to see judges held accountable for their ludicrous sentencing practices. The punishment for downloading music is stiffer than killing a person with your car while under a driving ban.
Posted by: George at October 10, 2007 12:33 PM
And the new driving ban is to run concurrent with the ban he was driving under when he was caught, driving!
I wonder, what is the maximum penalty for his offence? Three months, of which he'll serve about forty days, is a joke.
Canada's justice system is as dysfunctional as it's medical system, and there doesn't appear to be a political party around that wants to make any real changes to either.
Posted by: dmorris at October 10, 2007 07:01 PM
We should do away with all 2 for 1 credits, at least when serious bodily injury or death is involved. That is really obscene.
Posted by: Brian in Calgary at October 11, 2007 03:53 PM
Feh, with OBC's controlling every aspect of how modern automobiles operate, and police having access to means to disrupt operation of automobiles by EMI or EMP it seems a wily judge would order a chip to be surgically placed in said individual that would interfere with the OBC. Make them tamper proof by placing them in a non bio-degradable pouch containing a lethal compound for which there is no cure.
Emerging market anyone?
Posted by: dave at October 12, 2007 08:10 PM
 
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